Secondary characteristics of sex. Sexology: Secondary Sexual Characteristics, Report
Signs characterizing changes in structure and function various organs, determining gender and maturity. Should be distinguished from primary sexual characteristics, which identify the genitals. Secondary sexual characteristics depend on the primary ones, develop under the influence of sex hormones and appear during puberty. These include developmental features musculoskeletal system, body proportions, subcutaneous fat and hair, degree of development of the mammary glands, timbre of voice, behavioral characteristics and many others ( cm. Puberty.).
Under the influence of female sex hormones, girls quickly increase in height and body weight, and the limbs grow faster than the body, the shape of the skeleton, especially the pelvis, changes, as well as the figure due to the deposition of fat, mainly in the buttocks, abdomen and thighs, the shape of the body is rounded, the skin becomes thinner and more tender. The growth of the mammary glands begins, the areola protrudes. Subsequently mammary glands increase and are deposited in them adipose tissue, they take the form of a mature mammary gland. Hair appears on the pubis, then in the armpits, and its growth on the head increases. The growth of pubic hair in girls begins earlier than in boys, and is characterized by a distribution in the form of a triangle, characteristic of women, with the apex directed downwards and a sharply defined upper border above the pubis. Sweat glands, especially the glands of the armpits, begin to secrete sweat with an odor characteristic of the female sex. Secretion increases sebaceous glands, as a result of which, in the second half of puberty, the formation of juvenile acne sometimes occurs. For most girls, 2-3 years after the onset of secondary sexual characteristics, at the age of 12-13 years, menstruation begins ( cm. Menarche) - main feature puberty, indicating the body’s ability to become pregnant. However, the general maturity of the body occurs after several years, during which further development of secondary sexual characteristics and the formation of reproductive function occur, preparing the girl’s body for the function of motherhood. In boys, the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics is characterized by more intensive body growth , increasing muscle mass, increased growth of the penis and testicles (which is sometimes accompanied slight soreness). The shape of the larynx changes, the voice becomes rougher and lower, pigmentation of the skin of the scrotum appears, hair appears on the pubis and in the armpits, a mustache and beard begin to emerge, and an Adam’s apple appears (“ adam's apple"). Many young men experience swelling during this period. mammary glands And increased sensitivity nipples At the age of 14-15, boys often experience sexual arousal, and at night - spontaneous ejaculation of semen (pollution). The seminiferous tubules of immature boys are filled with spermatogonia, and only with the beginning of the functioning of the gonads, capable of producing mature sperm, does the young man’s body enter puberty , further development of secondary sexual characteristics and maturity, which occurs by 23-25 years.
(Source: Sexological Dictionary)
A set of physiological and psychosomatic characteristics that are formed during puberty ( eg, hair growth in the armpits, pubis, voice mutation; facial hair growth, wet dreams in young men; development of the mammary glands and the appearance of menstruation in girls, etc.). Wed: primary sexual characteristics.
(Source: Dictionary of Sexual Terms)
See what “Secondary sexual characteristics” are in other dictionaries:
Sexual characteristics series distinctive features the structure and functions of body organs that determine the sex of the organism. Sexual characteristics are divided into biological and social (gender), so-called behavioral characteristics. Contents... Wikipedia
SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS- SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS, a term used in different meanings and denoting: 1) all the characteristics by which one sex differs from the other, with the exception of. gonads (the latter are the primary sexual characteristics); 2) all sexual... ... Great Medical Encyclopedia
SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS, external signs, defining a sexually mature animal and distinguishing one sex from another. These characteristics play a role in the behavior of animals during the breeding season, although they are not essential for mating itself. The development of these... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary
They are formed mainly during puberty. For example, men have a mustache, beard, Adam’s apple, women have developed mammary glands, the shape of the pelvis; The animals have bright male plumage, scent glands, horns, and fangs. Wed. Primary sexual characteristics... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
A set of features that distinguish one sex from another in animals (with the exception of primary sexual characteristics). They develop towards puberty under the influence of sex hormones. Permanently preserved (e.g. differences in body size and proportions... Biological encyclopedic dictionary
Secondary sexual characteristics- Genetically inherited characteristics that are not related to reproduction, but cause external differences between the sexes (body hair or timbre of voice). Psychology. A Ya. Dictionary reference book / Transl. from English K. S. Tkachenko. M.: FAIR PRESS.... ... Great psychological encyclopedia
They are formed mainly during puberty. For example, men have a mustache, beard, Adam's apple, women have developed mammary glands, the shape of the pelvis; The animals have bright male plumage, scent glands, horns, and fangs. Wed. Primary sexual characteristics. * *… … encyclopedic Dictionary
secondary sexual characteristics- EMBRYOLOGY OF ANIMALS SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS - features of the structure and proportions of the body in animals and humans that distinguish one sex from the other (except for the structure of the genital organs). They develop towards puberty under the influence of sex hormones and... ... General embryology: Terminological dictionary
SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS- See sexual characteristics, secondary... Dictionary in psychology
Preem are being formed. during puberty. for example, men have a mustache, beard, Adam’s apple, women have developed mammary glands, the shape of the pelvis; The females have bright male plumage, scent glands, horns, and fangs. Wed. Primary sexual characteristics... Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary
Insufficient development of secondary sexual characteristics most often indicates serious disorders in the endocrine system women and the diseases associated with these disorders.
Characteristics of secondary sexual characteristics
Primary sexual characteristics are the structural features of the reproductive system and genitals. Secondary sexual characteristics are bodily or somatic traits that create differences in both sexes. There are also tertiary characteristics. They are unique to humans. This is an awareness of sex or gender, and the associated rules of behavior in society.Female secondary sexual characteristics include:
- Developed mammary glands.
- High timbre of voice.
- Female pubic hair pattern: upper limit represents a clear horizontal line. The hair itself is intimate area has the shape of a triangle with its base facing upward.
- Features of hair in other places. Hair growth in the armpits. Lush soft silky hair on the head. Facial hair is absent or weakly expressed. The same goes for the limbs.
- Body features. The bony skeleton is not as massive as in men. The muscles are also weakly expressed. Relatively great content adipose tissue. Fat is concentrated on the thighs and buttocks. The pelvis is widened, the shoulders are narrowed.
- Secondary sexual characteristics also include some features of the functioning of the reproductive system, namely: regular cycle with menstrual flow.
The laying of geniuses occurs in the prenatal period, at about 12 weeks. pregnancy. At this time, the genital tubercle transforms into male or female genitalia. Secondary sexual characteristics appear much later, during puberty, in puberty . Puberty in women ends by the age of 18-19.
At this time, a woman reaches puberty and fertility (ability to bear children). This is signaled by the presence of secondary sexual characteristics. If, by the end of puberty, secondary sexual characteristics have not reached the proper degree of expression, they are said to be underdeveloped.
Reasons for absence secondary sexual characteristics
The endocrine system is responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics. In women they appear under the influence of female sex hormones, estrogen secreted by the ovaries. The latter are controlled by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. These brain structures, in turn, are in close relationship with the thyroid gland and adrenal glands. Any disturbances in this well-functioning but easily vulnerable system will lead to insufficient development of secondary sexual characteristics and other negative consequences.Among the reasons for these violations:
- Chromosomal abnormalities
- Genetic abnormalities
It is noteworthy that estrogens are synthesized from male androgens under the action of the enzyme aromatase. Hence, genetic defect aromatase will lead to a decrease in the amount of estrogen and to the accumulation of androgens. The same thing will happen with a deficiency of another enzyme, C21-hydroxylase, as a result of which the adrenal glands intensively produce androgens.
- Pathology of pregnancy
- Organic lesions CNS (central nervous system)
- Ovarian dysplasia
- Other reasons
Signs of virilization
Thus, underdevelopment of secondary sexual characteristics is a consequence estrogen deficiency with a relative or absolute predominance of androgens. Although in some situations when high level androgens (hyperandrogenism), the amount of estrogen increases compensatoryly. But androgens still predominate. A woman's appearance reveals masculine traits. This phenomenon is called virilization (Latin virilis - man). Signs virilization:
- Low timbre of voice.
- Underdeveloped, poorly contoured mammary glands.
- Hirsutism- presence of facial hair.
- Excessive hair growth in other areas of the body. Pubic hair growth is of the male type with the presence of a “path” to the navel. Increased hair stiffness.
- Increased skin oiliness ( oily seborrhea). The appearance of acne (acne) on the skin.
- The appearance of the “Adam’s apple” - a protruding tub.
- Male body type - narrowed pelvis, broad shoulders, well-developed muscles.
- Changes in the menstrual cycle. Ovulation disturbance (anovulation) is accompanied by prolonged amenorrhea and absence of menstruation. In other cases they may be scanty and irregular.
This is especially true for gene-chromosomal abnormalities, when the pathology of the reproductive system is combined with neuropsychiatric disorders(oligophrenia, convulsive syndrome) and somatic changes.
Somatic changes are largely characteristic of PCOS. Patients develop tissue resistance to insulin. The consequence of this is type II diabetes mellitus and obesity. Moreover, fat is deposited in the central or male type- on the front abdominal wall.
Due to an increase in the level of lipid (fat) compounds, atherosclerosis and related diseases develop - hypertonic disease, IHD ( ischemic disease hearts). If estrogen levels rise compensatoryly, the risk increases malignant neoplasms uterus, mammary glands.
What to do if there is underdevelopment of secondary sexual characteristics
First of all, it is necessary to establish the cause absence of secondary sexual characteristics. To do this, blood is examined for hormones. The level of all major hormones is determined: estrogens, androgens, hormones of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands. Further diagnostics are aimed at identifying possible structural changes. For this purpose, the following is carried out: - X-ray of the skull bones
- CT and MRI of the skull, brain
- Dopplerography of intracranial vessels
- Ultrasound of the thyroid gland, ovaries, adrenal glands.
If underdevelopment of secondary sexual characteristics occurs against the background of congenital structural changes in the reproductive system, plastic surgery of the uterus and vagina is performed. No less important task- artificially form menstrual cycle. To do this, estrogens are alternated with synthetic progestins (analogs of the hormone progesterone). At successful treatment changes in positive side appearance, the menstrual cycle becomes regular, the woman can become pregnant and give birth.
A number of distinctive features of the structure and functions of body organs that determine the gender of the organism. Sexual characteristics are divided into biological and social (gender), so-called behavioral characteristics.
Separation
Sexual characteristics are divided into primary, secondary (biological) and tertiary (gender).
Primary and secondary signs are determined genetically, their structure is already laid down in the fertilized egg long before the birth of the child. Further development of sexual characteristics occurs with the participation of hormones.
Primary sexual characteristics
Primary sexual characteristics include those characteristics associated with reproductive system and relate to the structure of the genital organs.
Secondary sexual characteristics
Secondary sexual characteristics, a set of features or characteristics that distinguish one sex from another (with the exception of the gonads, are primary sexual characteristics).
Examples among people: in men - mustache, beard, Adam's apple; in women - typical development of the mammary glands, shape of the pelvis, greater development fatty tissue. For animals: the characteristic bright plumage of male birds, scent glands, well-developed horns, fangs in male mammals. The adaptive significance in animals is that these characteristics serve to attract individuals of the other sex or to fight for their possession. Studies on castration and gonadal transplants have demonstrated the relationship between gonadal function and the development of sexual characteristics in mammals, birds, amphibians and fish. These experiments allowed the Soviet researcher M. M. Zavadovsky to conditionally divide sexual characteristics into dependent (eusexual), which develop in connection with the activity of the gonads, and independent (pseudosexual), whose development occurs regardless of the function of the gonads. Animals do not develop dependent sexual characteristics during castration. If by this moment they have already developed, then they gradually lose their functional significance and sometimes completely disappear. Castration of males and females results in essentially similar forms; If such an “asexual” individual is transplanted with a gonad or introduced a sex hormone, then characteristic dependent sexual characteristics of the corresponding sex develop. An example of such experiments is the development in a castrated chicken under the influence of the male reproductive gland of a rooster's headdress (comb, beard, earrings), a rooster's voice, and male behavior. Independent sexual signs, such as spurs or rooster feathers, develop without the participation of sex hormones, it was possible to establish by experiments with the removal of the gonads: these signs are also found in castrated roosters.
In addition to dependent and independent sexual characteristics, there is also a group of somosexual or tissue-sexual characteristics, which are characteristic only of one sex, but do not depend on the function of the gonads; in the case of castration, gender differences in these characteristics are completely preserved. This group is characteristic of insects.
Tertiary sexual characteristics
Tertiary sexual characteristics in higher living beings are psychological and socio-cultural differences in the behavior of the sexes. Especially in human society, tertiary sexual characteristics are highly influenced by different cultures. For example, the traditional men's outfit in Scotland is the kilt, while in many countries the skirt is considered an exclusively female item of clothing. IN modern society There is a change in sex (gender) roles - women become more independent and socially active.
Anomalies
- Hermaphroditism is the presence of characteristics of both sexes in a dioecious organism, and these characteristics are fully developed, intermediate.
- Transgender - primary and secondary sexual characteristics do not coincide with the individual’s gender self-identification.
Sexual characteristics in humans
Although biological sex is established at the moment of fertilization of an egg by a sperm, early stages sexual characteristics are practically invisible. Only in the third month of intrauterine life from general structure male or female genital organs are formed. The original structure is visible even after birth.
During puberty, the final development of the genital organs and their reproductive functions. At the same time, secondary sexual characteristics begin to appear. Typically, in girls this process begins a little earlier than in boys, but it depends on factors such as heredity, climate and nutrition. The manifestation of sexual characteristics usually occurs in a certain order.
Female sexual characteristics
- Primary
- Vulva
- Clitoris
- Vagina
- Uterus
- Fallopian tubes
- Ovaries
- Secondary
- Breast
- Female-type pubic hair, perineal hair, inguinal folds, axillary hair
- Hair growth on arms and legs
- Menstruation
- Wide pelvis, narrow shoulders. High percentage of body fat
- Breast growth
- Appearance of smooth pubic hair
- Pubic hair changes structure
- Appearance of armpit hair
- First menstruation (menarche)
Puberty occurs 4-6 years after the first menstruation
Male sexual characteristics
- Primary
- Penis
- Testicles
- Scrotum
- Vas deferens
- Prostate
- Seminal vesicles
- "Secondary"
- Hair growth: pubis, anus, armpits, abdomen, chest, beard, mustache
- Body structure: narrow hips, broad shoulders. Small percentage of body fat
- More pronounced Adam's apple
- Baldness
The order of development during puberty:
- Beginning of testicular growth
- Appearance of pubic hair
- Minor voice change
- First ejaculation
- Coarser pubic hair
- Period of fastest growth
- The appearance of hair on the legs and armpits
- Voice breaking
- The appearance of facial hair
- Hair on other parts of the body
- Hair loss on the head
SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
(Psychosexual development)
1. The concept of gender. Types of floor.
2. Sexual dimorphism. Primary and secondary sexual characteristics.
3. Sexual development. The concept of sexual differentiation. Sexual differentiation of the brain.
4. Disorders of psychosexual development and behavior.
The concept of field. Types of floor
General biological determination of sex concerns the reproductive aspect and is equally valid for both humans and frogs, chickens, etc. The literature provides different variants similar definitions.
Sex is a set of mutually contrasting generative and related characteristics of individuals of the same species.
Sex is a combination of genetic, morphological and physiological characteristics that enable sexual reproduction.
In a broader human sense, gender is a complex of reproductive, bodily, behavioral and social characteristics that define an individual as a man or a woman. The concept of gender for humans and animals is not identical, because Man is a social being, and sexual relations are not associated only with reproduction. For a person, it is also pleasure, an opportunity to show recognition and love, one of the foundations for building relationships in society.
The following are distinguished: types of floor:
| №№ | Floor type | Criterion | Female | Male |
| genetic | set of sex chromosomes | XX | XY | |
| gonadal | gonad | ovary | testis (testicle) | |
| gametic | germ cells | egg | sperm | |
| hormone | sex hormones | estrogens | androgens | |
| somatic | phenotype | |||
| civil (passport) | phenotype | female genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics | male reproductive organs and secondary sexual characteristics | |
| gender of upbringing | behavior | feminine type of behavior | masculine behavior | |
| gender of self-awareness | awareness of one's own gender | gender role behavior and sexual orientation |
Sexual dimorphism. Primary and secondary sexual characteristics.
Sexual dimorphism refers to the morphological, physiological and psychological differences between representatives of different sexes.
Morphological characteristics of sex These are primary and secondary sexual characteristics. The primary ones are determined genetically (the gonad, external and internal genital organs), and the secondary ones are determined hormonally and appear during puberty, when hormones corresponding to the genetic sex begin to predominate (hair growth of the face, armpits, pubis, the appearance of the Adam's apple, mammary glands, emissions and menstruation, voice mutation, fat deposition and development of the musculoskeletal system according to the female and male type).
Physiological signs gender:
A) the timing of maturation and decline of sexual function is earlier in women than in men;
B) tonic type of activity of the reproductive system in men and cyclic in women;
C) the structure and number of maturing germ cells: women have approximately 450 eggs during the reproductive period, and men have about 200 million sperm during one sexual act;
D) women have temporary endocrine glands: corpus luteum(appears in the middle of each cycle) and the placenta (appears during pregnancy;
D) women have higher resistance to stress and genetic invasions (immunity);
E) various shapes and the degree of participation in the sexual process (courtship, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, manifestation of the instinct of motherhood and paternity);
G) presence of orgasm: in men always, in women it may be absent, but this circumstance does not interfere with conception.
Psychological differences more often expressed in behavior. Sexual behavior is the most important secondary sexual characteristic. Differences in behavior occur from birth, i.e. are fixed genetically and do not depend on the predominance of sex-appropriate hormones. In children preschool age and even in the first year of life, sexually significant reactions and behavior options take place, caused by sexual desire and not related to it. Psychological differences are also associated with the characteristics of perception and thinking. That's why people sometimes don't understand each other.
Theory of sexual dimorphism formulated in the 60s. 20th century by V.A. Geodakyan. According to this theory, the feminine principle ensures the immutability of offspring from generation to generation, the preservation of the genetic material accumulated during evolution. Feminine- these are the golden storehouses of heredity. Hence the slogan “Women’s health is the health of the nation!”
The male sex is the vanguard of the population, taking upon itself the function of encountering new conditions of existence. The male sex is associated with the formation of new genetic trends under the influence of the environment and their transmission to offspring. The function of collision with environmental conditions and the formation of new genetic trends, and therefore new development options, makes male body more vulnerable and involve significant losses. Hence the slogan “Take care of men!” The ratio between the number of male and female individuals per different stages ontogeny as follows.
table 2
During puberty, the final development of the genital organs and their reproductive functions occurs. At the same time, secondary sexual characteristics (morphological) begin to appear. This period is called puberty. Puberty, or puberty, is the time when physical condition During adolescence, dramatic changes occur, including a growth spurt. The growth spurt involves primarily sex hormones and growth hormone, which cause many important changes in human development. During this period, the main physiological systems, happens intensive growth bone tissue. In boys, the shoulder diameter and muscular component increase, the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin increases. In girls, the pelvic diameter increases and fat deposition increases, which is necessary for the successful expulsion of the fetus during childbirth. In the topography of subcutaneous fat deposition, there is a tendency for it to be deposited in the shoulder area in boys and in the hip area in girls. An important factor This period is the appearance of menstruation in girls, in boys - the ability to ejaculate.
The process of puberty lasts from one and a half to six years. Physical changes, which occur during puberty, are laid before birth, when the future function of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland is programmed by hormones to “awaken” many years later. The teenage growth spurt occurs due to increased production of sex hormones. In girls, this spurt is usually observed two years earlier (~ at 12 years old) than in boys (~ at 14 years old). As a result, girls aged 11-14 tend to be much taller than boys of the same age.
The first sign of puberty in girls is the development of the mammary glands, which can begin as early as eight years of age. Breast growth is controlled by estrogen levels and hereditary factors. Menstruation usually begins towards the end of breast formation and almost always after the maximum growth spurt. The age at which menstruation begins varies greatly. During the first year, periods are often irregular and there is usually no ovulation.
The outward signs of the onset of puberty in boys, which is also under hormonal control, usually appear a year or two later than in girls. Development of the genitals begins at approximately age eleven, and their size and shape are consistent with those of adult males at ~fifteen years of age. After a year or two, hair growth begins on the face and body. Chest hair growth may continue for another ten years or more. The degree of hair growth on the face and body in both sexes is controlled by genetic factors and hormones. This explains why some people have more hair and others have less. Other changes during puberty in boys include a deepening of the voice, which is caused by the stimulating effect of testosterone on the tissue of the larynx. At the same time, the final gender and sexual identity is formed, which is the essence of the psychological and psychosexual components of gender. Thus, the puberty period includes morphological, physiological and psychological changes in the body. Adequate passage of this period ends with awareness of gender identity.
Psychological aspects
The biological sex of an individual is only a prerequisite for the formation of a person’s psychological and social sex. The formation of gender or sexual identity (that is, the awareness of one’s belonging to the male or female sex in a particular individual) is one of the directions of human socialization. The process of such socialization is that many of the basic differences between men and women are laid down in the family and children learn about them from a variety of sources. Socialization is carried out both consciously and unconsciously, and in the process of active interaction with the individual, since the individual is formed through the very first social relationships that children enter into. The process of gender identification is determined and directed through social and cultural means. For this purpose, in every society there are certain gender roles. The concept of gender role denotes the way people behave in a system of interpersonal relationships, depending on their position in society and corresponding to the set of norms, regulations and expectations accepted in a given society. Gender role is understood as a system of social standards, prescriptions, and stereotypes that a person must conform to in order to be recognized as a boy (man) or a girl (woman). But the formation of an individual’s gender identity is not directly and directly determined by the presence of social stereotypes, ideas, and expectations. They should become means of realizing one's own gender identity. This direction of the socialization process and its result—gender identity—requires mastering gender roles and learning gender-role behavior. It is obvious that psychosexual development is a complex biosocial process in which “natural” and “social” factors are intertwined; they cannot be understood without each other. Any violation of the sequence or timing of critical periods of sexual differentiation can have a fatal impact on a person's future sexual behavior and self-awareness. There are several stages in the formation of a child’s gender identity.
The first stage - by the age of 1.5 years, in the course of communication with adults, knowledge of primary gender identity is formed. By this time, children may know about their gender identity. In this case, the especially vulnerable, potentially weak partner is not the woman, but the man. Usually in the first years of life, children are very attached to their mother. At this time they face problems of separation and individualization. This implies a weakening of the initial identification with the mother, a decrease in oral dependence on her. This process leaves different impressions on boys and girls. Girls' early experiences involve dual identification: not only do they identify with their mother (as do boys of the same age), but mothers themselves, as big daughters, identify very strongly with their daughters. This sense of special attachment makes the subsequent separation of mothers and daughters more difficult. At the same time, in relationships with boys, mothers tend to encourage their opposition to themselves and, in general, everything that strengthens their male identity. In addition, the toys that are offered to the child, games and entertainment, the tastes that they try to instill in him, the demands that are placed on him - everything is passed through the prism of his gender: “You shouldn’t cry, because you’re not a girl”; “Why are you fighting, are you a boy?” The child’s primary consciousness of his gender is formed precisely during this period, constituting the most stable, core element of his self-awareness. With age, the scope and content of gender identity changes, including a wide range of masculine and feminine traits.
