Sexual characteristics are physical traits of an
organism (typically of a
sexually dimorphic organism) which are indicative of or resultant from biological
sex
Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones (ova, oft ...
ual factors. These include both
primary sex characteristics
A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, ...
, such as
gonads, and
secondary sex characteristics.
Humans
In humans,
sex organs or primary sexual characteristics, which are those a person is born with, can be distinguished from
secondary sex characteristics, which develop later in life, usually during
puberty. The development of both is controlled by
sex hormones produced by the body after the initial fetal stage where the presence or absence of the
Y-chromosome and/or the
SRY gene determine development.
Male primary sex characteristics are the penis, the scrotum and the ability to
ejaculate when matured. Female primary sex characteristics are the vulva, vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix, and the ability to give
birth and
menstruate
Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of horm ...
when matured.
Hormones that express sexual differentiation in humans include:
*
estrogens such as
estradiol
*
progestogen
Progestogens, also sometimes written progestagens or gestagens, are a class of natural or synthetic steroid hormones that bind to and activate the progesterone receptors (PR). Progesterone is the major and most important progestogen in the body. ...
s such as
progesterone
Progesterone (P4) is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species. It belongs to a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens and is the m ...
*
androgens such as
testosterone
The following table lists the typical sexual characteristics in humans (even though some of these can also appear in other animals as well):
Other organisms
In
invertebrates and
plants,
hermaphrodite
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 Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrate ...
s (which have both male and female reproductive organs either at the same time or during their life cycle) are common, and in many cases, the norm.
In other varieties of multicellular life (e.g. the
fungi division,
Basidiomycota
Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...
), sexual characteristics can be much more complex, and may involve many more than two sexes. For details on the sexual characteristics of fungi, see:
Hypha
A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium.
Structure
A hypha consists of one or ...
and
Plasmogamy.
Secondary sex characteristics in non-human animals include manes of male
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
s, long tail feathers of male
peafowl, the tusks of male
narwhal
The narwhal, also known as a narwhale (''Monodon monoceros''), is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large "tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. It lives year-round in the Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada and Russia. It is o ...
s, enlarged
proboscises in male
elephant seals and
proboscis monkey
The proboscis monkey (''Nasalis larvatus'') or long-nosed monkey is an arboreal Old World monkey with an unusually large nose, a reddish-brown skin color and a long tail. It is endemic to the southeast Asian island of Borneo and is found mostly ...
s, the bright facial and rump coloration of male
mandrill
The mandrill (''Mandrillus sphinx'') is a large Old World monkey native to west central Africa. It is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, with red and blue skin on its face and posterior. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males ...
s, and horns in many
goats and
antelope
The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia.
Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals ...
s.
See also
*
Mammalian gestation
In mammals, pregnancy is the period of reproduction during which a female carries one or more live offspring from implantation in the uterus through gestation. It begins when a fertilized zygote implants in the female's uterus, and ends once it ...
*
Reproduction
Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. Reproduction is a fundamental feature of all known life; each individual or ...
*
Sex and gender distinction
*
Sexual differentiation
References
{{Authority control
Sexual anatomy