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The secondary sexual characteristics of the brain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

C S Breathnach
C S Breathnach*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University College, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2
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Abstract

In the avian cerebrum and in the spinal cord, sympathetic ganglia, hypothalamico pre-optic area and cerebral cortex of the rat sexually dimorphic' nuclei are clearly recognisable. Similar differences have been described in the human brain. Morphometric analysis has shown a sexually dimorphic nucleus in the pre-optic area. There is continuing controversy over differences in the size and shape of the corpus callosum, but there is accumulating evidence of cerebral asymmetry with more focal representation of language and praxic functions in the left cerebral hemisphere in females. The various sensory modalitites also show gender differences. The significance of these secondary sexual variations in brain structure resides in the developmental and behavioural characteristics of the underlying neural circuits.

Keywords

Avian song nucleiNucleus of bulbocavernosusPre-optic areaHemispheric asymmetrySensory modalitiesSexual dimorphism
Type
Review Articles
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , March 1990 , pp. 59 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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