Late night Gender Thread

[Beearewhyain]

WARNING: READ THIS FIRST...This thread is not designed to break down like all the other threads regarding gender issues. If it does so I will alert myself and if I am not here I encourage others to do so.


HOW ARE MALES AND FEMALES THE SAME AND HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?
I would like to start a thread on our similarities and differences based on reason and science. Nothing anecdotal or without a scientific backup. If you post, post something that has a science or psychology based backup with links as to why we might see things differently. If you don't have something based on this please ask a question with the expectation that someone will reply with a reasoned response with a link. If you don't have that refrain from posting as it only detracts from the debate.(I am hoping that we can all agree on science)

I will start the debate...

I have read that men and women process information in a different manner but I don't have anything to back that up...would someone provide a refutation or a link for this assertion.

I have read that women have better communication between both hemispheres of their brain as opposed to men, men being much more hemisphere dominant on one side or the other. Backup or refutation?

[WindRavenX]

1. I can see this ending poorly...but...

I'll play nice :)
All of this is from my biology textbook (Campbell and Reece, 6th edition) Yes I am a biology major :P
All humans start off as female; it's why males have nipples.
Both men and women are homo sapiens with at least one X chromosome. The Y chromosome is actually weaker than the X chromosome and is partially the cause why males have more inherited genetic disorders (like color blindness) because the other X chromosome, in many cases, can mask the recessive trait if it's on the Y chromosome. This is also why many females are carriers (i.e, carrying the disorder, but not having the phenotype of the disorder).
Sperm carrying the Y chromosome are faster than the sperm carrying the X chromosome because the X is far, far bigger than the Y. More eggs are potentially male because of this; but more female fetuses are carried to term because of the afore mentioned XX strength.
Biologically speaking, females must be biologically stronger than males.

[Beearewhyain]

3. Yes, I can see this ending poorly as well

But I love tilting at windmills with the hope that we have a legitimate debate.
I have but one request...could you provide a link to what you post or something related please.

[WindRavenX]

4. I don't have a link

It's from my huge-ass bio textbook...

[Beearewhyain]

5. I am not sure if the assertion that ...

"Biologically speaking, females must be biologically stronger than males" based on the weight of sperm applies considering that the weight of the egg is a multitude heavier than any sperm that makes contact. Of course...I don't have a link to back this up. ;)

[WindRavenX]

6. I'm just sayin...

...there are more male fetuses because Y-chromosome carrying sperm reach the egg quicker than hte X-chromosome carrying sperm BUT because of the strength of the XX (female) fetus, more females are actually BORN and survive than male fetuses.

[Beearewhyain]

7. If I have this correct, you are saying that more males are

miscaried , but more females are birthed ir relation giving us the general 50/50 birth rate.

http://genderstats.worldbank.org/genderstats/genderRpt.asp?rpt=basic&cty=TJK,Tajikistan&hm=home2

[WindRavenX]

8. yes

I wouldn't say "miscaried", but for whatever cause...not as many male fetuses make it to term.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. More male children are still born than female

while a few countries, such as China, may have an imbalance due to abortion of female foetuses, nearly all countries still have a ratio of around 105 male to 100 female births.

http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph-T/peo_sex_rat_at_bir&int=300

[Spinzonner]

2. The corpus callosum

connects the two hemispheres of the brain.

Some studies have suggested that it is larger in women than in men but the research is somewhat controversial and the assertion not universally accepted though it is commonly reported as fact, especially in the general public venues.

[Beearewhyain]

9. These articles support your position

That it is highly contested.

http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/context/515035/0

[Scout]

11. Femininity

good book by Susan Brownmiller exploring gender differences ... many are social constructs, some have a basis in physiology that is amplified by social construct.

It's been quite a while since I read it, but I remember that I found it quite interesting.

[Beearewhyain]

12. Is that opinion or science, I would love to see the link

The reason I ask is that I don't want this to break down into what one author said v. another. Is this an anthropological study? Just curious.

[Moderator]

13. Locking.....

There is a moratorium on this topic
for the time being.


Thanks for understanding.


DU Moderator