Perineal raphe
Encyclopedia
The perineal raphe is a visible line or ridge of tissue on the human body that extends from the anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...

 through the perineum
Perineum
In human anatomy, the perineum is a region of the body including the perineal body and surrounding structures...

.

In men, this raphe continues through the midline of the scrotum
Scrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...

 (scrotal raphe) and upwards through the posterior midline aspect of the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...

 (penile raphe). It is the result of a fetal
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...

 developmental phenomenon whereby the scrotum (the developmental equivalent of the labia in females) and penis close toward the midline and fuse.

See also

  • Raphe
    Raphe
    Raphe has several different meanings in science. Pronounced .In botany and planktology it is commonly used when describing a seam or ridge on diatoms or seeds....

  • Linea nigra
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