Biological Sex
Sex and gender have been two of the most socially significant factors in the history of the United States and the world. Sex is defined at the genetic level with XX being female chromosomes and XY being male chromosomes. Believe it or not, there are very few sex differences based on biological factors, meaning the DNA of a male closely matches that of a female. The biggest differences are the reproductive body parts and corresponding hormones.
Sex is one's biological classification as male or female.
The biological differences between the sexes that are directly related to reproduction are called primary sex characteristics. An obvious example is that women have ovaries and men have testicles.
The secondary sex characteristics are all other biological differences that are not related to reproduction.
The table below shows many of the known biological differences between males and females.
| Females | Males |
| Vagina | Penis |
| Uterus | Testicles |
| Ovaries | Scrotum |
| Breast development | Breast dorman |
| Less aggression - Testosterone | More aggression - Testosterone |
| Runs a bit slower | Runs a bit faster |
| Lesser upper body strength | More upper body strength |
| Live years longer (7 years in developed countries) | Live shorter lives (3 years shorter world wide) |
Ultimately, there is much more in common than different. The table below displays the vast list of similarities common to both men and women.
| Digestive System | Respitory System |
| Lymphatic System | Sensory System (your 5 senses) |
| Circulatory System | Integumentary System - skin, hair, and nails |
| Endocrine System | Immune System |
| Musculoskeletal System | Excretory System |
| Urinary System | Nervous System |
Every major system of the human body functions in very similar ways to the point that health guidelines, disease prevention and maintenance, and even organ transplants are very similar and guided under a large umbrella of shared guidelines. True, there are medical specialists specifically trained for treating men and women, but the similarities still outweigh the differences. Today you probably ate breakfast, took a shower, walked in the sunlight, sweat, slept, used the bathroom, were exposed to germs and pathogens, grew more hair and finger nails, exerted your muscles to the point that they became stronger, and felt and managed stress. So did every man and woman you know and in very similar ways.
Which sex has the following?
- Estrogen
- Follicle Stimulating Hormone
- Luteinizing Hormone
- Prolactin
- Mammary glands
- Nipples
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (at times)
Answer: Males and females have all these hormones, plus many others, including testosterone!
Gender
Males and females are very similar, so why is there such a big debate between the sexes? Why does society focus so much on the differences?
Perhaps it's because the impact of gender.
Gender is the cultural definition of what it means to be a man or a woman.
Gender is culturally based and varies in a thousand subtle ways across the many diverse cultures of the world. Gender has been shaped by political, religious, philosophical, linguistic, traditional and other cultural forces for many years. To this day, in most countries of the world, women are still oppressed and denied access to opportunities more often than men and boys because of cultural gender differences. This oppression has been well documented throughout history.
When exploring history, the most common themes of oppression are the ideas that women are legally, biologically, economically, and even spiritually less than men. The following slideshows go into detail on these assumptions.
