biological explanations of gender

• how sex glands develop…

  • There is a gene called the SRY gene which causes sex glands to develop into testes.
  • The Y chromosome contains the SRY gene.
  • If a person has XY chromosomes, their sex glands develop into testes.
  • If a person has XX chromosomes, their sex glands develop into ovaries.
• testosterone and oestrogen are also released by non-sex glands, such as…

  adrenal glands
• where is oxytocin produced

  pituitary gland
• Oxytocin is associated with empathetic  , sensitive and caring behaviour. Females produce  more oxytocin than males.Females are often seen as more empathetic, sensitive or caring than males.So oxytocin may influence behavioural differences, or in other words: oxytocin may influence  gender .
• Testosterone may influence brain development in two ways:Firstly, testosterone increases the size of the sexually  dimorphic nucleus in the  hypothalamus , a brain region that controls sexual behaviour.Secondly, testosterone may increase brain  lateralisation , which might cause differences between how males and females behave.
• limitations to hormone studies

  Eisenegger:

  • two groups: 1- control group, 2-taking "testosterone" (actually sugar pill)
  • group 2 acted more boyish and manly
  • Expectations about the effects of hormones acted as confounding variables
• hormone studies

  • some studies found people that were exposed to testosterone before birth acted more manly
• Firstly, these differences are not always  replicated by other studies.For example, a meta-analysis undertaken by Janet  Hyde found very little difference between the brains of males and females.Secondly, other studies have found bigger differences  within or among or inside the sexes than  between or across them.
• David Reimer case study

  • born biologically male
  • underwent sex change
  • parents grew him up female
  • he became depressed- never felt like he fit in
  • changed back to male after parents told him he was female
• intersex condition

  a person doesn’t develop the genitalia typical for their sex chromosomes.
• An abnormal chromosome pattern is when a person has...

  more or less 46 chromosomes
• an atypical sex chromosome pattern is when a person has...

  more or less 2 sex chromosomes
• Klinfelters syndrom

  • XXY chromosomes
  • affects boys

  Physical Differences:

  • less muscular
  • less hairy
  • infertile
  • developing breast tissue

  Psychological Differences:

  • reading, verbal, language difficulties

  1 in 1000 boys
• Turner' Syndrom

  • X chromosome
  • affects girls

  Physical Differences:

  • shorter
  • webbed neck
  • infertility
  • underdeveloped ovaries
  • not getting periods

  Psychological Differences:

  • above average verbal ability
  • below average maths ability
  • difficulty making friends

  1 in 2000 girls