psychology unfinished

Explanations of Gender 

Biological Explanation of Gender

Sex = biological aspects of male and femaleGender = development and behaviour of the different sexes in relation to environmental and social aspects. 

Genes and sex determination: Every cell in human body contains 46 chromosomes. Individual sperm and egg cells have unpaired 23 chromosomes. 23 chromosomes from mother's egg and 23 from father's sperm cell form a new organism. A male baby (XY) receives an X chromosome from mother and a Y chromosome from father. Female babies (XX) get an X chromosome from each parent. 

Genes and gender development:In early stages of development, embryo generates hormones and genes start organising the brain along gender lines.In mammals - X and Y chromosomes determine whether the fertilised egg develops into a male or female organism. In humans - females have twice the number of X chromosomes as males.

Research on how genes affect gender development is carried out on animals. The processes of distinguishing between the sexes can be different:roundworms- fertilised eggs with one X chromosome are male, those with two XX chromosomes become hermaphrodites. Fruit flies- (like humans) have two X chromosomes for females and one X and one Y chromosome for males.

Normal sex differentiation in humans: Genetic sex detemined through XX and XY chromosomes Testes develop in an XY foetus, ovaries develop in an XX foetus. An XY foetus develops wolffian ducts, an XX foetus develops mullerian ducts. An XY foetus masculinises the female genitalia making them male. An XX foetus retains the female genitalia. 

Abnormal sex differentiation: Can occur at any stage. For example: problems can arise at fertilisation- boys with XXY chromosomes develop Klinefeller's Syndrome and girls with XO chromosomes have Turner's Syndrome. 

Hormones and gender development:

Psychodynamic

Biological