Biological differences between the sexes - Βιολογικές διαφορές των φύλων

GreeceGreeceand and

22ndnd Vocational High School of Giannitsa Vocational High School of Giannitsa presents:presents:

The term of sex refers to the biological and social differences between men and women. The biological sex

of a person is genetically determined, while gender is culturally and socially constructed.

From the beginning of the world: From the beginning of the world: “Another creature was Adam & other Eve …”“Another creature was Adam & other Eve …”

The difference in woman’s – man’s bodies The difference in woman’s – man’s bodies captured centuries ago ...captured centuries ago ...

These male and female forms display distinct These male and female forms display distinct some different characteristicssome different characteristics

These differences start from the These differences start from the beginning of human life…beginning of human life…

All cells in human body other than reproductive cells contain 46

chromosomes, arranged in 23 pairs. 22 of these pairs are matched (chromosomes are very

similar) The other pair are the sex chromosomes, which are similar in

females (XX), and dissimilar in males (XY)

Reproductive cellsReproductive cells

These are: eggs for the female & sperms for the male and contain 22 autosomes plus one sex chromosome.

Egg cellsEgg cells will have: 22 autosomes and 1X chromosome

Sperm cellsSperm cells will have: 22 autosomes and either 1X or 1Y chromosome.

FertilizationFertilization

During fertilizationDuring fertilization, , egg and sperm fuse, producing a cell

with 46 chromosomes.

The sperm determines the sex of the embryo:The sperm determines the sex of the embryo: If the sperm that fertilizes the egg has an X chromosome, the

embryo will be XX (female) If the sperm that fertilizes the egg has a Y chromosome, the

embryo will be XY (male)

22+X

22+XXXXX

22+X

22+Y

XYXYXX YY

Differentiations of reproductive systemDifferentiations of reproductive system

Sex hormonesSex hormones

Produced by gonads and secreted into bloodstream.Ovaries produce:Ovaries produce:

Estrogens Progesterone

Testes produce:Testes produce:Androgens (testosterone)

Note:Note: adrenal glands also produce estrogen and androgens in both sexes.

BonesBones Women have less bone mass than men, but their pelvic structure

is wider, which is necessary when giving birth. Males have denser ,stronger bones, tendons and ligaments and

“Adam’s Apple ” due to larger vocal cords.

MusclesMuscles Males are physically taller and stronger than females.

Females have less total muscle mass than males

Fat and FlexibilityFat and Flexibility

Women carry about 10%points more body fat than do men. Men accumulate fat primarily in the back, chest, and abdomen; women gain fat in the buttocks, arms, and thighs. Women generally are more flexible than men.

Hair and Skin Hair and Skin Men have more bodily hair than women do, especially on the

face, chest and extremities.The baldness is much more common in males than in females.

Men’s skin has more collagen and sebum , which makes it thicker and oilier than women’s skin.

Brain Brain The male brain is typically about 10% larger and heavier

than female brain, because male have a larger body. That means that the extra brain mass doesn’t make men more intelligent.

According to studies, female brains are more compact.

Language:Language: Women often excel at language-based tasks for two reasons: two brain areas that deal with language are larger in

females, and also females process language in both hemispheres while males favor a single brain half.

Emotions:Emotions: Since women have a larger deep limbic system than men, they’re more in touch with their feelings.

Spatial abilities:Spatial abilities: A special brain area (parietal region) is thicker in the female brain, so that women often report difficulty with spatial

tasks, in contrast with men.

The woman has the biological role of the The woman has the biological role of the birth of childrenbirth of children

Woman is pregnant for 9 months and subsequently for a few months breastfeed the baby

The body is affected physically, psychologically and emotionally and the pace of life is changing

Male and FemaleMale and Female

The most obvious differences between males and females

include all the features related to reproductive

role and their physiological and behavior effects ,

including internal and external genital and

differentiation of breast , of muscle mass , height

and hair distribution.

Studies on this topic explore the possibility of social influences on how both sexes perform in cognitive and

behavioral tests. Stereotypes about differences between men and women have been shown to affect a person's behavior.

Men and women can use different roads to get to the same place.

Supervisors:Supervisors:

Goula Athina

Nikou Evangelia

Students participated in this project:Students participated in this project:

Karakatsani Anthi

Thomaidou Maria

Vairamidou Evmorfia

Vardikidou Aggeliki

Kamtsi Konstantina

Kiriakidou Despina

Latsari Elsa

Lina Panagiota

Melikidou Alexandra

Baxevani Petroula

Daule Joanna

Panagiotidou Emanuella

Raskaki Antigoni

Rode Kisian

Tzahalaki Christina

Tsehou Vaso

Hatsaturova Anna

BIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHY

Birke , Lydia. The Gender and Science Reader ed. Muriel Lederman and Ingrid Bartsch . New York, Routledge , 2001. (306-322)

Miller, AE; MacDougall, JD; Tarnopolsky, MA; Sale, DG (1993). "Gender differences in strength and muscle fiber characteristics". European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology 66 (3): (254–62).

Arnold, A. P. (2004). "Sex chromosomes and brain gender". Nature Rev. Neurosci 5 (9): (701–708).

Haier , R.J.; Jung, R.E.; Yeo , R.A.; Head, K.; Alkire , M.T. (September 2004). "Structural brain variation and general intelligence" (PDF). Neuroimage 23 (1): (425–33).

Frost, P. (2007). Sex linkage of human skin, hair, and eye color

Fausto -Sterling, Anne “Of Gender and Genitals” from Sexing the body: gender politics and the construction of sexuality New York, NY: Basic Books, 2000, [Chapter 3, pp. 44-77]

Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology, Technical Issues In Reproductive Health, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

Glucksman , A. (1981) Sexual Dimorphism in Human and Mammalian Biology and Pathology (Academic Press, 1981), (pp. 66-75)

Gustafsson A & Lindenfors P (2004). "Human size evolution: no allometric relationship between male and female stature". Journal of Human Evolution 47 (4): (253–266)