Warning, overly technical, long-winded, BE post follows!
SteelWeaver said:
Just out of curiosity, why DOES it actually grow? I mean, it's not muscle tissue, is it? Or is it? I don't know about anyone else, but I don't think I can flex mine, so I'm guessing it's not muscle ...
Steel,
Sorry, but I was not gifted with succinctness nor simple English. Not to mention, I am an old bureaucrat that gets paid by the poundage of paper I create! Old habits die HARD.
1.) It grows because it is the female analog of the male penis. During gestation, males produce enough testosterone starting at about week 7 to turn the undefined genitalia into a penis. If no testosterone is produced, the EXTERNAL genitalia will develop ambiguous or be female like at birth. Then later at male puberty onset, testosterone is again produced in sufficient quantity to cause secondary sexual characteristics to develop. This includes the voice, body hair, and penile growth.
Because the average female body produces so little testosterone, the clitoris does not get stimulated into massive growth. With few exceptions, the older you are when exposed to testosterone, the less growth you will experience. If you are in your late teens, you can expect a larger amount of permanent growth and sensitivity.
2.) The clit is composed of spongy erectile tissue, some fat, skin, and a whole lot of nerve endings. These all make up the domed tip, or glans, and the shaft.
The shaft is divided into two halves called crura that run deep under the skin in a V shape over the vaginal opening.
There are clitoral nerves, which run through the vaginal walls, into the bladder, and the urethra that control muscle contractions. These nerves conduct most of the sensations from the entire area.
Usually just the tip, if any, the clitoris shows because the labia minora join above the clitoral shaft, forming the hood.
Since the clitoris is just like a penis, it contains spongy erectile tissues that engorge with blood when aroused and can cause the erect clitoris to almost grow to twice its normal size. Some women, when aroused, say the clitoris 'hides' because hood swells too, and covers the clitoris to protect it from potentially painful direct contact stimulation.
Of course, your mileage will vary! Post orgasm, the spongy tissues shrink from the blood draining, and the clit returns to its normal size. If aroused but not finished to orgasm, some women say they remain painfully swollen just like a man!
3.) You can actually flex the underlying muscles by doing Kegel exercises and in turn make your clitoris ‘flex.’ However, ‘clitoris flexing’ seems somewhat like making your ears wiggle, it serves no useful purpose that I can think of. Perhaps this could be an emerging Olympic sport? I’m sure there are plenty of guys here willing to act as judges?