Morphological Studies on Penis of Rabbit

Rabbits characterized by their suitability as a laboratory animal and to their renowned reproductive efficiency. The present work was to understand the normal penile morphology to improve the basic scientific knowledge of the organization of the penile structures. The current study revealed that, the penile fibrous skeleton consisted of the thick lamellated tunica albuginea and the penile trabecular system was nearly parallel and vertical. It was observed to be composed of collagen fibers. The tunica albuginea that surrounds the corpora cavernosa penis was made up of dense regular connective tissue consisted of inner concentric lamellae and an outer longitudinal layer permeated with smooth muscle cells. At the tip of the penis the number of trabecular is greatly diminished. No distinct tunica albuginea surrounded the corpus spongiosum penis, the penile erectile tissues were made up of cavernae lined by endothelium and surrounded by smooth muscles and dense irregular mainly collagenic fibers. The smooth muscle was the most abundant component of the penile erectile tissue. The penile urethra in the rabbit was lined varies in different regions, in the greatest part of the penile urethra it is lined by stratified cuboidal to columnar epithelium. In conclusion: the penis of the rabbit was of musculo-cavernous type. The os-penis and the glans penis were absent. However, the glans penis was replaced by the pars libra