Anatomical Development

1.1 MALE AND FEMALE ANATOMICAL DEVELOPMENT


The anatomical difference between men and women is not very great. Even their sexual systems are quite similar and, indeed, in their first stages of development they are indistinguishable. Later structural modifications make the male and female sex organs complementary to each other, but even then one can still recognize their common origin. In other words, while the sexual differences (just as all other physical features of the future human being) are already programmed into every fertilized egg, they materialize only slowly over a period of time. In some isolated instances, the development may even be thwarted and remain incomplete. {See "Sexual Malformations.")


As mentioned earlier, in some cases it may be difficult to identify a particular individual as male or female. However, in our everyday lives we are usually content with determining a person's sex on the basis of certain obvious characteristic physical and psychological traits. Traditionally, these traits have been known as sexual characteristics, and they can be divided into three different categories:


1. The primary sexual characteristics are the external sex organs. They are already present at birth and thus make it possible to determine whether a newborn child is a boy or a girl.


2. The secondary sexual characteristics are those physical features that develop during puberty and which further accentuate the anatomical difference between males and females.


3. The tertiary sexual characteristics are those psychological qualities that are nurtured in one sex and discouraged in the other.


The primary and secondary sexual characteristics are biologically determined, and they constitute a person's maleness or temaleness. IThe tertiary sexual characteristics are culturally determined, and they constitute a persons masculinity or femininity.


The following paragraphs restrict themselves to the physical characteristics. For the psychological aspects of sexual differentiation, see "The Development of Sexual Behavior" and "The Social Roles of Men and Women."


 

[Title Page] [Contents] [Preface] [Introduction] [The Human Body] [Sexual Differentiation] [The Sex Organs] [Sexual Response] [Human Reproduction] [Physical Problems] [Sexual Behavior] [Sex and Society] [Epilogue] [Sexual Slang Glossary] [Sex Education Test] [Picture Credits]