Gender differences Flashcards
What happened in 60s & 70s
It became clear that gender could influence biomedical research results
Why may disease & treatment vary between genders
As diseases can affect the two differently
- Certain diseases affect one gender more than the other
How can gender be determined after death
- Women generally have bigger pelvises
- Men generally have more skeletal muscles and bigger frames
Osteoporosis
80% patients are women
Autoimmune disease
3-fold more common in women than men
Depression
2-3 times more common in women than men
Depression
- reasons why more common in women
- Possible connection to women producing less serotonin (neurotransmitter) - though some peoples doesn’t improve with antidepressants (boosts serotonin)
Other mental health diseases
Sex-based differences also present in incidence & expression of schizophrenia, PTSD, panic disorder, etc.
Potential causes of sex-based differences in physiology & disease
- Societal
- Genetic
- Effects of the sex steroids
Societal
- Lifestyle/behaviour - Some female athletes show very similar physiological traits as men
- Environmental
- Healthcare
Genetic
Linked to x- or Y- chromosome
transgender people
It can be hard to treat transgender people because some treatments are gender based and they are truly the opposite gender than is at face value
Effects of sex steroids
- Ones involved
- Androgens, estrogens and progestins
- All present in both males and females
Effects of sex steroids
- Estrogens & androgens
Physiologically important in both males and females
Sex hormones & life stages
- Prenatal development
Sexual differentiation - all start off as female in womb
Maturation
Child, adolescent & young adult
Other life stages
- Variation with menstrual cycle in women
- Pregnancy
Cancer
Some cancers target one gender rather than the other because of the hormones they target
Menopause
Causes abrupt drop in estrogen & progesterone
Hormones with aging
Gradual decline in testosterone with aging in both men & women
- After the menopause the difference in physiology and hormones becomes smaller, as men and women become more similar
sex based differences in body comp & structure
- Well known (stereotypes)
Men have:
- Greater bone mass
- Greater muscle mass
- Lower %bf - typically because women have higher due to reproductive system
Structural differences in M&F
- Men have bigger hearts and lungs
- Men have bigger brains
- Gastrointestinal system