When you have intercourse or have the desire to have intercourse, your penis will become erect and hard so that you can successfully complete the process of intercourse. However, when the penis is erect, many men find that the glans is not hard, and there is an inexplicable panic inside. So why is the glans not too hard when erect? Is this impotence? The following is the answer to this question, starting from the structure of the glans penis and the mechanism of erection, as well as the changes in the glans during the erection of the penis. 1, the structure of the glans penis The penis is mainly composed of 3 parallel cylindrical spongy bodies, there are 2 penile spongy bodies and 1 urethral spongy body, and the 3 spongy bodies differ in structure. The diagram above is a schematic diagram of a penis cross-section, which is the position and structure of the 3 corpus cavernosum if you stand and the penis is erect at an angle of 90 degrees to your body. The penile corpus cavernosum is located on the upper sides of the penis and the urethral corpus cavernosum is located below the penile corpus cavernosum. （The spongy body of the penis is shaped a bit like a ‘carrot-like’, with a thicker section on the outside of the body, and a pointed thin end in the deeper part of the body, also called the penis foot, the pointed thin end (penis foot) is connected to the bone by ligaments, such as the often mentioned penile suspensory ligament. The ligament mainly acts as a fixation, holding the corpus cavernosum firmly to the bone so that the penis does not move during erection and coitus. The thick end meets the glans just below the glans and primarily holds up the head of the penis (glans). The urethral corpus cavernosum is located below the two penile corpus cavernosum and is named because the urethra passes through it. It is much smaller than the corpus cavernosum of the penis. The urethral corpus cavernosum is located outside the body and expands to form the glans, which is a dense, hard-wearing tissue that allows sexual intercourse to take place. The urethral corpus cavernosum is connected to the prostate part of the urethra by a segment inside the body. (See the picture below) 2, the different physiological changes of the glans penis when the penis is erect The penis will be erect and hard during sexual desire or intercourse, but the role of the penile corpus cavernosum and urethral corpus cavernosum is different. The corpus cavernosum of the penis becomes significantly more engorged, hardens, and approaches the cartilage (or forehead) in strength. The urethral corpus cavernosum, on the other hand, also fills with blood and becomes larger, but the urethral corpus cavernosum and glans are not the same as the penile corpus cavernosum. In the paragraph above on the structure of the glans penis, it was mentioned that there are structural differences between the corpus cavernosum and the urethral corpus cavernosum, and it is these differences that predestine them to have different functions and roles during penile erection. The corpus cavernosum of the penis is surrounded by a tough layer of tissue called the white membrane, while the inner core is the ⬆spongy blood sinus. The white membrane is so tough that it basically cannot expand, and the blood sinuses ensure that the pressure on the inner surface of the corpus cavernosum is maintained at a relatively high level during an erection. The result is that the penile corpus cavernosum is able to maintain sufficient stiffness during erection. The urethral corpus cavernosum (including the glans) does not have a tough white membrane and spongy blood sinus, so it is also engorged with blood during erection but will not be very hard. 3, the penis and glans are different in hardness during erection and its significance From the above analysis we can see that even in normal people, the hardness of the penis and glans will not be the same during erection. It is normal for the penis to become erect and hard, while the urethral corpus cavernosum as well as the glans is only engorged with blood and becomes swollen but not very hard. From a physiological point of view, this is also very much in line with physiological needs. One, the hardening of the penis during erection can ensure penetration during intercourse, which is necessary for sexual life. Secondly, the glans remains distended during intercourse instead of being hard as cartilage, which also facilitates intercourse and can maintain comfort and avoid injury. Thirdly, the urethral spongy body is only engorged and swollen in the case of erection, and the pressure inside the spongy body does not rise significantly, so that the patency of the urethra can be maintained. Only then can semen be ejected from the urethra. 4, what is the hardness of the glans when fully erect? As mentioned above, when the penis is erect, the glans is engorged with blood and swollen, and the hardness of the glans is not the same as the hardness of the body of the penis. The hardness of the glans during erection is just distended and elastic. If it’s normal for the body of the penis to be as hard as the forehead, then it’s normal for the glans to be as hard as the ‘tip of the nose’.