An ovotestis is a
gonad
A gonad, sex gland, or reproductive gland is a mixed gland that produces the gametes and sex hormones of an organism. Female reproductive cells are egg cells, and male reproductive cells are sperm. The male gonad, the testicle, produces sper ...
with both testicular and ovarian aspects.
In humans, ovotestes are an infrequent anatomical variation associated with
gonadal dysgenesis
Gonadal dysgenesis is classified as any congenital developmental disorder of the reproductive system
in the male or female. It is the atypical development of the gonads in an embryo,
with reproductive tissue replaced with functionless, fibrous ti ...
.
The only mammals where ovotestes are not symptomatic of an
intersex
Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bina ...
variation are
moles Moles can refer to:
* Moles de Xert, a mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain
* The Moles (Australian band)
*The Moles, alter ego of Scottish band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound
People
*Abraham Moles, French engin ...
, wherein females possess ovotestes along with a masculinized
clitoris
The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the ope ...
. These ovotestes in nonpregnant female moles secrete eight times as much testosterone as the ovotestes of pregnant moles. In invertebrates that are normally
hermaphroditic
In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes.
Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have s ...
, such as most
gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
s (snails and slugs) in the clade
Eupulmonata
Eupulmonata is a taxonomic clade of air-breathing snails. The great majority of this group are land snails and slugs, but some are marine and some are saltmarsh snails that can tolerate salty conditions.
Linnean taxonomy
*Suborder Eupulmonat ...
, an ovotestis is a common feature of the reproductive anatomy.
In mice, ovotestes are structured such that the central region is testicular tissue while the poles both contain ovarian tissue. Experiments involving the
SOX9 gene, which is initiated by the
SRY region of the Y chromosome, have shown the gene’s requirement for testicular differentiation from the presence of ovotestis formation within XX Sox9 trangenic mice. (6) Ovotestis within B6-XYPOS mice allow for gonadal development research within the same tissue to take place in ways previously unavailable.
In gastropods
![Biomphalaria glabrata ovotestis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Biomphalaria_glabrata_ovotestis.png)
An ovotestis or hermaphroditic gland ( la, glandula hermaphroditica),
is found as normal anatomical feature in the
reproductive system of some gastropods including such species as the land snail ''
Cornu aspersum
''Cornu aspersum'' (syn. ''Cryptomphalus aspersus''), known by the common name garden snail, is a species of land snail in the family Helicidae, which includes some of the most familiar land snails. Of all terrestrial molluscs, this species may ...
''.
People with Ovotestis
*
Anton Krzyzanowski
Anton Krzyzanowski or Anton Kryzhanovsky (, born 3 March 1995) is a Russian intersex activist and sound designer. He is the founder of the intersex human rights initiative group Interseks.ru () and is known for speaking openly about living with ov ...
See also
*
Intersex
Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bina ...
*
True hermaphroditism
True hermaphroditism, sometimes referred to as ovotesticular syndrome, is an intersex condition in which an individual is born with both ovarian and testicular tissue. Commonly, one or both gonads is an ovotestis containing both types of tis ...
References
{{reflist
Mammal reproductive system
Intersex variations