How Does An Erection Work

Getting an erection may appear a fairly straightforward process. But you probably do not know that there is so much more to it.

Whether it is the penis or the clitoris, the methodology involved in developing an erection is more or less the same. It is extremely complex as it is prompted by either the central nervous system, or by the autonomic nervous system, depending upon the type of stimulation involved.

For men, the most common type of stimulation is based on auditory, visual, imagined, olfactory, or tactile stimuli that prompt the cerebral cortex to begin the erection process. The erectile centers found in the lumbar and sacral regions of the spinal cord then tell the nerves in the pubic area to begin the emitting of nitric oxide. This chemical compound is widely used by mammals as a signaling molecule to send information from one cell to another.

The veins that supply the penis with blood dilate when the nitric oxide is released. This enables a larger-than-usual amount of blood to enter the penis. This flows into the corpora cavernosa, the two sponge-like tissues designed to expand in size and hold as much blood as possible. The corpus spongiosum, a tubular structure below the corpora cavernosa through which urine and semen pass, also becomes filled with blood, but not nearly as much as the corpora cavernosa.

The arteries contract as soon as enough blood has entered the penis. This is in order to return to the normal flow of blood, preventing the blood in the penis from leaving the area. This same process is also used in mechanical stimulation of the penis and in the absence of external stimuli. The entire method is handled by the autonomic nervous system with very little input from the central nervous system. When stimulation ends, the autonomic nervous system makes the arteries constrict and forces blood out of the penis.

The cerebral cortex is not involved in every type of stimulation that causes an erection. But it can end any erection if it judges that the situation requires such action. This is why people have to avoid things that can turn them off.

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