It is commonly described as a “female pleasure center”.
Now researchers have discovered that mysterious neurons in the clitoris ‘respond to vibrations’, proving why vibrators are sexually stimulating.
An identical effect also occurs in the penis, the scientists said.
First discovered by scientists in the 1850s, Krause’s corpuscles are clusters of nerve endings that some believe act as sensory cold receptors.
But using female and male mice, Harvard Medical School scientists found that the clitoris had a “significantly higher” density of neurons (15 times higher) than the penis.
Using female and male mice, scientists at Harvard Medical School found that the clitoris has a “significantly higher” density of neurons (a 15-fold increase) than the penis. The image shows an enlarged cross-section of the dorsal nerve of the human clitoris
A similar number of Kraus blood cells were detected in both areas and were sparsely distributed over the penis but concentrated in the clitoris.
In the study, adult rodents were first placed under normal anesthesia earlier than the researchers applied stimuli to the female and male genitalia.
Results revealed on the website before print, bioRxivapproved okRause’s blood cells reacted most when the genitals were touched with a vibrating machine or caressed with a brush.
Male mice confirmed a “strong erectile response” to penile brushing and vibration, said researchers.
To better understand the state of neurons, The scientists then tested whether they could be activated by illuminating them with blue light rather than physical contact.
All the male mice developed an erection when the neurons were activated by sunlight, the scientists wrote. However, they did not observe this in female mice their sexual reactions were considered too disturbing to watch visually.
In another experiment, some female rodents were genetically modified to have fewer Krause blood cells to test how this affected their response to sexual development.
The researchers found that these mice had much less receptive to male development and ended relationships with male rodents sooner than frequent females.
In addition, males lacking Krause corpuscles took longer to induce intercourse, withdrew earlier, and were much less likely to ejaculate than typical males.
The results suggest that neural stimulation is essential for motivating intercourse and healthy sexual responses, which may be because they produce pleasurable sensations, the researchers concluded.
The clitoris is the only human organ whose sole function is to provide pleasure.
It consists of nerves that transmit electrical impulses between the mind and the rest of the body, allowing the ladies to actually feel and respond to touch.
Although the tip of the clitoris is outside the body, much of the organ is inside.
It contains the dorsal nerve, a nerve shaped like a crossbar that runs along both sides of the shaft of the clitoris and is responsible for clitoral sensation.
Meanwhile, in men, sperm is expelled during ejaculation by the contraction of the muscle mass between the anus and the scrotum, called the bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus.
This comes after researchers at Oregon Health and Science University additionally informed the clitoris over 10,000 nerve fibers in the past 12 months, 20 percent more than previously estimated.
