PSYC 110 Lecture 16: Sexual Differentiation
29 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
Sexual differentiation: sexual differentiation is the process by which individuals develop bodies and behaviors that are either male-like or female-like. In mammals, this process begins before birth and continues into adulthood: sex determination is the process by which the decision is made for a fetus to develop as a male or a female. Biologically- xx = female; xy = male. Phenotypically- vagina and penis: indifferent gonads begin to change into ovaries or testes in the rst month. Sry gene - sex determine region on the y chromosome is responsible for the development of testes. Without an sry gene, no sry protein is made, and ovaries form: wolf an ducts and mullein ducts connect the indifferent gonads to the body wall. Testicular hormones: anti-mullerian hormone (amh) induces the regression of the mullein system, testosterone promotes the development of the wolf an system, 5a-reductase is an enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (dht), necessary to form male genitalia.
