Secondary and primary sexual characteristics of men and women

There are a number of differences in the structure and functions of the organs of the body, which determine the belonging of all organisms to a particular sex. Primary and secondary sexual characteristics help distinguish a man from a woman and a female from a male, despite the fact that they are determined by the same genes, which under the influence of special hormones can manifest themselves to a greater or lesser extent. Underdevelopment or pathological changes in the ovaries, as a rule, significantly weaken the action of the female hormone, which leads to the manifestation of secondary signs in men. The body of the latter, In turn, can also manifest unchanged changes to it, and the cause of this is often the suppression of the normal functioning of the testes. Hence, it can be concluded that the primary sexual characteristic includes the organ that is responsible for the fertilization and development of the fetus. Reproductive system in the body is one of the most important, therefore its health should be maintained as long as possible.

Primary sexual characteristics

- Sexual penis, prostate and testicles in men.

- Vagina, uterus and ovaries in women.

Secondary signs of sexual development are observed in both women and men, but they manifest themselves in varying degrees.

Signs of secondary puberty

Hair in men manifests itself in the face, abdomen, chest, back, lower and upper extremities, as well as in the pubic region. In women, this phenomenon is observed in moderate amounts under the arms, in the bikini area and on the legs. In addition, there are differences in the skeleton and musculature: in men, the chest and shoulders are wider, the limbs are longer, the pelvis is already, and the muscular and bone mass is greater. Subcutaneous tissue is more developed in the abdomen, while in women it is located on the hips and buttocks. The vocal cords of men are thicker, the voice is coarser, and the Adam's apple is pointy. Mammary glands, as a rule, are not developed and are not capable to allocate breast milk for feeding offspring. If the primary sexual characteristics are characterized by a certain structure, the secondary sex can have some differences in the same sex.

Features of development of sexual characteristics

Sexual development in women and men occurs at different times: ovules, for example, are formed even during embryonic development, but they begin to grow only at the age of 8-12 years. Men's sperm are produced Testicles much later, after about 13 years. Primary sexual characteristics, along with secondary ones, are formed as a result of the action of certain hormones: in women it is progesterone and estrogen, which prepare the body for pregnancy, and for men - testosterone.

There are cases when one individual can have both female and male glands at the same time. This phenomenon is called hermaphroditism and arises because of abnormal development of the reproductive system. If the primary sexual characteristics are manifested early, then the secondary signs are formed during the growth of the body. In the end, the individual reaches biological maturity, including sexual maturity, which occurs after the completion of physiological and morphological development. From this moment the organism is capable of reproducing healthy full-fledged offspring.