The clitoris is a sexual organ located at the top of the vulva, and its primary purpose is pleasure. What most people think of as “the clitoris” is actually just a small external tip. The full organ extends several inches inside the body, with internal structures that wrap around the vaginal canal. It contains over 10,000 nerve fibers, making it the most sensitive touch-receptor site on the human body.
What You Can See: The External Clitoris
The visible part of the clitoris sits where the inner labia meet at the top of the vulva. This small, rounded nub is called the glans, and it’s the most nerve-dense part of the organ. In its resting state, the glans typically measures about 1 to 1.5 centimeters long and roughly half a centimeter wide, though there’s significant natural variation from person to person.
A fold of skin called the clitoral hood covers the glans, formed by the point where the inner labia join together. How much of the glans the hood covers varies widely. Some people have a hood that fully covers the glans, others have partial coverage, and some have very little coverage at all. All of these are normal. The hood functions similarly to the foreskin of a penis, protecting the sensitive tissue underneath from constant friction.
The Larger Internal Structure
The external glans is a small fraction of the whole organ. Beneath the surface, the clitoris has a complex, three-dimensional shape that wasn’t fully mapped until Australian urologist Helen O’Connell conducted detailed dissections and MRI studies in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her work revealed that the clitoris is far larger than anatomy textbooks had traditionally shown.
The internal clitoris has several key parts. A shaft (called the body) extends inward from the glans, made up of two columns of erectile tissue side by side. This body measures 0.5 to 3.5 centimeters in length and bends back on itself in a boomerang-like shape, which is visible on MRI scans. From there, the structure splits into two leg-like extensions called crura that stretch 5 to 9 centimeters along the pubic bone on either side.
There are also two bulbs of erectile tissue that sit along the sides of the vaginal opening. These bulbs measure 3 to 4 centimeters when at rest but can swell to around 7 centimeters during arousal. In total, the clitoris is broadly attached to the pubic arch and connects to the surrounding tissue of the mons pubis, labia, urethra, and vagina. O’Connell described it as a pyramid-shaped complex, with the bulbs forming the base on either side.
How It Responds During Arousal
The internal structure of the clitoris is filled with erectile tissue, the same type of tissue found in a penis. In its resting state, the smooth muscle in this tissue stays contracted, keeping blood flow minimal. During sexual stimulation, the body releases a signaling molecule called nitric oxide, which relaxes the smooth muscle inside the clitoral tissue. This allows blood to rush in, filling the spongy chambers and causing the entire organ to swell and stiffen.
When this happens, the glans becomes more prominent and more sensitive to touch. The internal bulbs along the vaginal walls also engorge, which increases sensation during penetration. This swelling process is essentially the same mechanism as a penile erection, just arranged in a different shape around the vaginal canal. After orgasm or when stimulation stops, the muscle tissue contracts again and blood drains out, returning the clitoris to its resting state.
Over 10,000 Nerve Fibers
A 2022 study from Oregon Health & Science University counted the nerve fibers running to the clitoris and found an average of more than 10,000. Researchers counted fibers in the dorsal nerve (the main nerve supplying sensation to the clitoris) from tissue samples and arrived at an estimate of about 10,281 fibers total. This concentration of nerves in such a small area is what makes the glans extraordinarily sensitive to touch, pressure, and vibration.
This sensitivity is the reason direct stimulation of the glans can feel too intense for some people, while indirect stimulation through the hood or surrounding tissue feels more comfortable. The nerve supply also extends to the internal structures, which is why pressure on the vaginal walls, where the bulbs and crura sit beneath the surface, can produce pleasurable sensations as well.
Shared Origins With the Penis
The clitoris and penis develop from the same embryonic tissue. In the first weeks of fetal development, every embryo has a genital tubercle, a small mound of tissue that will become either organ. Without the influence of the SRY gene (found on the Y chromosome), the genital tubercle develops into the glans clitoris. With SRY gene activity, it becomes the glans penis. This shared starting point is why the two organs have so many structural parallels: both contain erectile tissue, both engorge with blood during arousal, and both are densely supplied with sensory nerves.
Common Conditions That Affect the Clitoris
The most common issue is clitoral adhesions, where the hood becomes stuck to the glans. This can happen when natural skin oils and dead cells build up beneath the hood, essentially gluing the tissue together. Several factors increase the risk: lower estrogen levels (especially after menopause), which thin and dry out vulvar tissue; scarring from injury or surgery; chronic irritation from skin conditions; and inadequate or excessive moisture in the area.
Adhesions can reduce sensation, cause discomfort, or make the area tender to the touch. Mild cases often respond to topical estrogen cream, which restores tissue health, or regular use of emollients that keep the skin supple. Inflammatory skin conditions like lichen sclerosus, which can contribute to adhesions, are typically treated with topical steroids. When adhesions are severe or don’t respond to these approaches, a minor surgical procedure to separate the tissue may be needed.
Keeping the area clean with gentle washing and avoiding harsh soaps helps prevent buildup under the hood. Because the clitoral hood functions like a skin fold, it benefits from the same basic care as any other sensitive skin, just warm water and, if desired, a mild unscented cleanser.