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Information about Labia Majora

Outer anatomy of clitoris.
External genital organs of female. The labia minora have been drawn apart.
Latinlabium majus pudendi
subject #270 1265
ArteryDeep external pudendal artery
NervePerineal branches of posterior femoral cutaneous nerve
PrecursorGenital swelling
Dorlands/Elsevier l_01/12473761
The labia majora (singular: labium majus) are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds which extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum and form the lateral boundaries of the cleft of venus, which contains the labia minora, interlabial sulci, clitoral hood, clitoral glans, frenulum clitoridis, the Hart's Line, and the vulval vestibule, which contains the external openings of the urethra and the vagina.

Each labium majus has two surfaces, an outer, pigmented and covered with strong, crisp hairs; and an inner, smooth and beset with large sebaceous follicles.

Between the two there is a considerable quantity of areolar tissue, fat, and a tissue resembling the dartos tunic of the scrotum, besides vessels, nerves, and glands.

The Labia Majora are thicker in front, where they form by their meeting the anterior commisure of the labia majora.

Posteriorly they are not really joined, but appear to become lost in the neighboring integument, ending close to, and nearly parallel with, each other.

Together with the connecting skin between them, they form the posterior commisure of the labia majora or posterior boundary of the pudendum.

The interval between the posterior commissure of the labia majora and the anus, from 2.5 to 3 cm. in length, constitutes the perineum.

The labia majora correspond to the scrotum in the male.

Between the labia majora and the inner thighs are the Labiocrural Folds.

Between the labia majora and labia minora are the interlabial sulci.

Additional images


Sagittal section of the lower part of a female trunk, right segment.

Median sagittal section of female pelvis.

Anterior view of an adult woman with pubic hair removed, showing labia majora.

Vulva anatomy

Organs of the female reproductive system.

Female external genitalia.


See also

External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

 •  • [ e]
Female reproductive system
Ovaries/OogenesisGerminal epithelium • Tunica albuginea • cortex (Cumulus oophorus, Stroma) • Medulla
Follicles/Folliculogenesiscorpus (hemorrhagicum, luteum, albicans) • Theca folliculi (externa, interna) • Follicular antrum (Follicular fluid) • Corona radiata • Zona pellucida • Membrana granulosa (Granulosa cells)
LigamentsProper • Suspensory • Round • Broad (Mesovarium, Mesosalpinx, Mesometrium) • Cardinal
Fallopian tubesIsthmus • Ampulla • Infundibulum • Fimbria
Uteruscervix/neck (External orifice, Canal of the cervix, Internal orifice) • corpus/body (Cavity of the body, Fundus) • layers (Endometrium, Myometrium, Perimetrium)
VulvaMons pubis • Labium  (Labial commissures, Frenulum labiorum pudendi, Labia majora, Cleft of venus, Labia minora, Vulval vestibule, interlabial sulci) • Clitoris  (Clitoral hood , Clitoral glans, Frenulum clitoridis, Clitoral crura, Corpus cavernosa, Vestibular bulbs) • Vagina (Bartholin's glands, Bartholin's ducts, Skene's glands, Skene's ducts, Fossa of vestibule of vagina, Vaginal fornix, Hymen)
BreastMammary glands • Nipple • Areola • Lactiferous duct
OtherG-spot • Urethral sponge
Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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Arteries are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.[1] All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood.

The circulatory system is extremely important for sustaining life.
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The deep external pudendal artery (deep external pudic artery), more deeply seated than the superficial external pudendal artery, passes medialward across the Pectineus and the Adductor longus muscles; it is covered by the fascia lata, which it pierces at the medial side of
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A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of axons (the long, slender projection of a neuron). Neurons are sometimes called nerve cells, though this term is technically imprecise since many neurons do not form nerves, and nerves also include the glial cells that
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The perineal branches of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve are distributed to the skin at the upper and medial side of the thigh.

One long perineal branch, inferior pudendal (long scrotal nerve), curves forward below and in front of the ischial tuberosity, pierces the
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Embryology is the study of the development of an embryo. An embryo is defined as any vertebrate in a stage before birth or hatching. Embryology refers to the development of the egg cell (zygote) after fertilization and the differentiation of cells into tissues and organs.
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The labioscrotal folds (or labioscrotal swellings, or genital swellings) are paired structures in the human embryo that represent the final stage of development of the caudal end of the external genitals before sexual differentiation.
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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The term, longitudinal means "along the major (or long) axis" as opposed to latitudinal which means "along the width", transverse, or across.
  • In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine

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Skin layers: epidermis, dermis, and subcutis, showing a hair follicle, sweat gland & sebaceous gland.]] In zootomy and dermatology, skin is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues that guard underlying muscles and organs.
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In human anatomy or in mammals in general, the mons pubis (Latin, pubic mound), also known simply as the mons, is the soft mound of flesh present in both sexes just above the genitals, raised above the surrounding area due to a pad of fat lying just beneath it
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In human anatomy, the perineum, also called the "taint", "grundel" or "gooch", is generally defined as the surface region in both males and females between the pubic symphysis and the coccyx.
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The cleft of venus (pudendal cleft, pudendal fissure) is the furrow at the base of the mons veneris where it divides to form the labia majora. In some female humans, the clitoral hood and labia minora protrude through the cleft of venus, in others they do not.
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The labia minora (singular: labium minus) are two small longitudinal cutaneous folds, situated between the labia majora, and extending from the clitoris obliquely downward, lateralward, and backward for about 4 cm.
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The interlabial sulci are the grooves between the labia majora and the labia minora. The singular for this term is interlabial sulcus, of which there is a left and a right.
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In a female human anatomy, the clitoral hood, (also called preputium clitoridis and clitoral prepuce), is a fold of skin that surrounds and protects the clitoral glans.
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The clitoral glans (glans clitoridis) is an external portion of the clitoris.

It is covered by the clitoral hood, which is also external and attached to the labia minora. It is attached to the frenulum clitoridis, which is also attached to the labia minora.
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The Frenulum clitoridis (also known as the Crus glandis clitoridis) is a frenulum on the under-surface of the clitoral glans, created by the two medial parts of the labia minora.
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The Hart's Line is the edge of the vulval vestibule.

To its left and right are the labia minora. Anterior to it are the clitoral hood, clitoral frenulum, and the clitoral glans. Posterior to it is the posterior commisure of the labia minora and the frenulum labiorum pudendi .
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Vulval vestibule (or "Vulvar vestibule") is a part of the vulva between the labia minora that the urethral opening and the vaginal opening open into. Its edge is marked by the Hart's Line.
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In anatomy, the urethra is a tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body. The urethra has an excretory function in both genders to pass urine to the outside, and also a reproductive function in the male, as a passage for sperm.
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The vagina, (from Latin, literally "sheath" or "scabbard" ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles.
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The sebaceous glands are glands found in the skin of mammals.

Locations and morphology

A branched type of acinar gland, these glands exist in humans throughout the skin except in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
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Areolar connective tissue (or loose connective tissue) is the most widely distributed connective tissue type in vertebrates.

Location

It can be found in the skin as well as in places that connect epithelium to other tissues.
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Fat

Fat may refer to:
  • Fat, a group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water
  • Adipose tissue, an anatomical term for loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes

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The dartos is a layer of smooth muscular fiber outside the external spermatic fascia but below the skin.

Gender differences

  • In males it is termed tunica dartos and lies beneath the skin of the scrotum.

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In some male mammals, the scrotum is a protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles. It is an extension of the abdomen, and is located between the penis and anus.
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A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of axons (the long, slender projection of a neuron). Neurons are sometimes called nerve cells, though this term is technically imprecise since many neurons do not form nerves, and nerves also include the glial cells that
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gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release such as hormones, often into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland).
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Labial commissures are junctions of the labia majora and labia minora, with one pair for the labia majora and one pair for the labia minora.

The anterior commisure of the labia majora is below the mons veneris. In the pictures, it is the upper commisure.
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