Corpora cavernosa

Corpora cavernosa are regions of biological tissue that are erectile (become hardened when they fill with blood). They are found in both men and women.

A cross cut diagram of the human penis (top) and clitoris

Men

Main article: Corpus cavernosum penis

The corpus cavernosum penis is found in the penis. It is found in pairs which contain most of the blood in the male penis during erection. The two corpus cavernosa, along with the corpus spongiosum are the areas of tissue along the length of the penis.

Women

The corpus cavernosum clits is similar to the male corpus cavernosum. The body of the clitoris contains biological tissue that helps to create an erection. As in men, this tissue comes in a pair of corpora cavernosa. However, the female has no corpus spongiosum. Instead, there are two vestibular bulbs beneath the skin at the entrance to the vagina.