Tumescence is the quality or state of being tumescent or swollen. Tumescence usually refers to the normal engorgement with

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...

(

vascular congestion The blood vessels are the components of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide away ...

) of the erectile tissues, marking sexual excitation, and possible readiness for sexual activity. The tumescent sexual organ in males is the

penis A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males d ...

and in females is the

clitoris The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the op ...

and other parts of the genitalia like the vestibular bulbs. Arteries in the penis dilate to increase blood volume. Detumescence is the reversal of this process, by which blood leaves the erectile tissue, returning the erectile tissue to the flaccid state. Something that causes an

erection An erection (clinically: penile erection or penile tumescence) is a physiological phenomenon in which the penis becomes firm, engorged, and enlarged. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular, a ...

is sometimes referred to as a tumefier (tumefyer) or tumescer.

References

{{Reflist Sexual arousal Andrology Gynaecology

See also

References