Psychology 2035A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Pubic Hair, Y Chromosome, Sexual Differentiation

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2035A/B
• Professor: Doug Hazlewood

Document Summary

Part 1: reproductive biology: prenatal sexual differentiation (see also ch. If x sperm fertilizes egg (cid:498)xx(cid:499) = female. If y sperm fertilizes egg (cid:498)xy(cid:499) = male: the gonadal factor. Alternatives: adreno-genital syndrome, genetic females with unusually active adrenal glands that produce androgens. Inhibits development of ovaries: the hormonal factor. Development of sex organs like the penis and vagina (cid:498)true (ermaphrodites(cid:499) (cid:523)intersex(cid:524: the (cid:498)y(cid:499) chromosome is big enough to stimulate the development of testes but not, genetic females (xx) with tiny piece of (cid:523)(cid:498)y(cid:524)(cid:499) chromosome attached (cid:523)(cid:498)xxy(cid:499)(cid:524) Testes produce androgens if androgens present then penis develops (adam principle) Females: occurs ages 10-12, males occur ages 12-14. The onset of puberty has been decreasing in last 10 decades. Not unusual for girls to enter around age 8, and males around age 10: development of secondary sex characteristics vagina, but lacks depth, testes remain up inside body) Part 2: our two basic identities: biological sex.