Question

Assertion: Clitoris of the female is homologous to the tip of the penis
Reason: both have the same origin and richly supplied with the nerves and the blood vessels
(a) Both assertion and reason are correct and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion
(b) Both assertion and reason are correct but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion
(c) The assertion is correct but the reason is wrong
(d) Both assertion and reason are incorrect

Answer 1

Hint In mammals, the copulatory organ of the male and the erectile structure in the female have the same origin but they are functionally different. The erectile function of an organ is due to the rich supply of blood and nerves that helps in erection.

Complete answer:
External genitals of the females are referred to as pudendum or vulva. The vestibule present in the vulva has two apertures namely the upper external urethral orifice of the urethra and the lower vaginal orifice of the vagina. A mucus membrane called hymen partially covers the vaginal orifice. Two pairs of fleshy folds that bound around the vestibule are labia majora and labia minora. The sensitive, erectile structure, located at the upper junction of a pair of labia majora above the urethral opening is called the clitoris which is homologous to the penis of the male. They are homologous because they have the same origin and both of them are richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels.

Additional information:
- Female reproductive system of the mammals contains a pair of ovaries, a pair of oviducts, a uterus, a vagina, and a vulva.
- Vulva also called pudendum refers to the external genitals of the female.
- Urethral orifice, vaginal orifice, labia majora, labia minora, clitoris are the parts in the vulva
- Clitoris is internally supported by the corpora cavernosa.
- Above the labia majora, a cushion of fatty tissue which is covered by the skin and the pubic hair is known as the mons pubis
- Large, median, fibro-muscular tube in females called the vagina extends from the cervix to the vestibule. It is lined by non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium.

So, the correct answer is ‘ both assertion and reason are correct and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion’

Note: The organs which originate from the same cells or tissue but need not be functionally the same, such organs are called homologous organs.
If the organs are functionally the same but do not have the same origin, such organs are called analogous organs.