sexual differentiation
Becoming male/female
Sexual differentiation is the biological process by which an organism develops male or female characteristics.
In humans, this begins in the womb when genetic and hormonal signals direct the development of reproductive organs, genitalia, and secondary sex characteristics.
The term appears in biology, medicine, and discussions of intersex conditions where typical differentiation patterns vary.
- gonadGamete-producing organ
- gender identityInner sense of self-classification
- chromosomeDNA strand carrying genes
- testosteroneChief male sex hormone
- estrogenFemale reproductive hormone
gene · karyotype · SRY gene · ovary · testis · hypothalamus · progesterone · androgen · genitalia · embryogenesis · intersex · gonadotropin · 5-alpha reductase · behavioral genetics · genetic mutation · clitoris · puberty · epigenetics