Essay on "Sexual Development"

Essay 4 pages (1444 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

sexual development and maturity begins with the fertilization of the ova by the sperm. In a unique process, the DNA chain of the ova and sperm separates and connects with one another, creating an entirely new chromosome mixture. Determining the sex of the child happens in the last pair of the chromosome chain, with two Xs resulting in a girl and an XY resulting in a boy. Sexual maturation begins at puberty, when gonadotropin-releasing hormones secreted by the hypothalmus. These hormones are the primary controller of sexual dimorphism. However, what actually affects sexual orientation is an often hotly contested topic for debate. Although some believe it is nurture rather than nature, previous research has found that sexual orientation, such as homosexuality, instead may be due to prenatal exposure to androgens resulting in different brain structures.

The Process of Sexual Development and Maturity

Carlson (2007) states that sexual development and maturity begins with the fertilization of the ova by the sperm. In this process, the baby's chromosomal sex is determined. All human cells have twenty-three chromosomal pairs. Reproduction in these cells occurs by duplication of the chromosome chains exactly. However, when gametes are created they duplicate in an entirely unique way. The DNA chain of the ova and the sperm split into two and then combine with one another to make an entirely new strand of DNA, and a new individual. It is the combination of the last pair of chromosomes on the end of this new chain of DNA that determines if the infant will be a male or female.

Males have an X and a Y chromosome in their DNA. Females have two X chromosomes. When the DNA splits, half of the male's chain contains the X chromosome; the other half contains the Y chromosome. If the half with the X chromosome fertilizes with the female's X chromosome half, an XX sex chromosome is created and a female is produced. If the Y chromosome half is used, an XY chromosome is created and a male is produced (Carlson, 2007). In some instances, however, the process becomes corrupted.

Akodon azarae vole mice have occasionally demonstrated females with a chromosome sex pair that is indistinguishable from males, according to Bianchi (2002). These were XY sex reversed females. Nine Akodon species have shown this tendency for fertile heterogametic females. These heterozygous females, interestingly, exhibit a better reproductive performance than their XX counterparts, as a means of compensating for the non-viable YY zygotes.

The first of the three types of sex organs to develop are the gonads. The gonads not only produce sperm or ova, but they also are charged with hormone secretion. It isn't until a fetus is about six weeks old that differentiation between the sexes begins to occur. At that time, for males, a gene on the Y chromosome produces a protein that causes the males to develop testes. Hormones also affect the development of the fetus's sex organs, as well as their brain development, which will later be activated when the fetus begins maturing sexually, according to Carlson (2007). The internal sex organs, Wolffian system for boys and Mullerian system for girls, starts to form when the fetus is approximately three months old. Which system develops is dependent on whether or not the testes secretes hormones. If the male hormone dihydrotestosterone is present then the external genitalia becomes male. If there is no dihydrotestosterone secreted then the external genitalia becomes female.

The next step in sexual development happens at puberty. When the child reaches puberty, the hypothalmus secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormones. This stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to produce gonadotropic hormones. The gonads then produce luteinizing hormone and folicale-stimulating hormone that facilitate sexual maturing. Although the gonadotropic hormones are the same for both sexes, males primarily produce testosterone in the testes and females primarily produce estrodiol in the ovaries (Carlson, 2007).

The Physiological Basis of Sexual Development and Orientation

Physiologically hormones are the guiding factor of both sexual development and orientation. As noted earlier, once gender selection is made when the DNA of the sperm and the ova combine, it is hormones that lead the entire process of sexual development, from internal and external genitalia development in the fetus to sexual maturation during puberty. For this reason, it's not surprising to find that the physiological basis for sexual orientation is… READ MORE

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