The Foreskin

摘要

The foreskin or prepuce is the fold of skin that covers the head of the penis. At about 8 to 9 weeks' gestation, skin from the body of the penis begins to grow forward. It eventually covers the glans penis, often with as much as 1 cm of redundant foreskin extending beyond the glans. The skin on the shaft of the penis becomes keratinized, while the surface of the foreskin adjacent to the glans is lined by squamous epithelium similar to mucosa of the mouth, vagina, and esophagus. The foreskin has a protective function by internalizing the glans penis and urethral meatus, similar to the eyelid covering the globe of the eye.