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A Little Bit Of Biology


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#1 Anileve

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Posted 25 November 2003 - 11:34 PM

Following are our biological and physical differences in women and men for future use.

However, can one conclude that our social environment should be dependent on the amounts of chromosomes or neurons? Our genetic makeup should not be the ultimate determination of our social status.

-Whatever sets men and women apart, it all starts with a single chromosome: the male-making Y, a puny thread bearing a paltry 25 genes, compared with the female X, studded with 1,000 to 1,500 genes.

-Y chromosome itself spurs the brain to grow extra dopamine neurons, which are partly responsible for Parkinson’s disease, which afflicts twice as many men as women.

-Women and men age differently. First of all, women live longer than men. Part of women's advantage with respect to life expectancy is biological. They seem to be more resilient than men at all ages.


-Women have another heady advantage--faster blood flow to the brain, which offsets effects of aging. Men lose more brain tissue with age, especially in the left frontal cortex, the part of the brain that thinks about consequences and provides self-control. If you have noticed men tend to loose their common sense with old age, while older women still maintain their rational way of thinking and speaking.

-The oldest old in most parts of the world are predominantly women.

-Women's longevity makes them more likely to suffer from the chronic diseases commonly associated with old age. Women are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, incontinence, and arthritis than men.

#2 Anileve

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Posted 25 November 2003 - 11:39 PM

More differences...

Men, overall, have larger brains than women (their heads and bodies are larger), but the sexes score equally well on tests of intelligence.

Left Brainstep-by-step reasoning

logical
mathematical
speaking
dominates right brain

Right Brain

Mystical
Musical
Creative
visual-pictorial
submissive to the left brain
pattern seeker

=>The left side of the brain is more developed in females, than males.
Early in male development, male hormones slow the growth of the left hemisphere and accelerate growth of the right, one of the assumed reasons why autism develops more in males than females.

=>The male little dangly thing is (usually) a little longer than a woman's little dangly thing, and men usually don't have large breasts made up of fatty tissue unless they're overweight.

#3 gamavor

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Posted 25 November 2003 - 11:51 PM

=>The male little dangly thing is (usually) a little longer than a woman's little dangly thing, and men usually don't have large breasts made up of fatty tissue unless they're overweight.



Vive La Petite Differance and Vive la France and in particular the French Convent 1878 (if my left side of the brain doesn't play tricks with me).


Muah!


PS: It would be fair to note, that nevertheless male's "little" dangly is much more complex organ than female's trully little thing. :)

Edited by gamavor, 25 November 2003 - 11:52 PM.


#4 Anileve

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 12:00 AM

Complex, I would have to disagree. The only complexity needed to be noted is that the male little dangly is in a constant conflict with the “Left Side –logical” part of the brain when it comes to making a decision of “Which one should act first.” :lol: :lol: :lol:

Indeed Vive La Petite Differance and International Congres du Droit des Femmes. No it didn't betray you ;).

Edited by anileve, 26 November 2003 - 12:00 AM.


#5 gamavor

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 12:07 AM

OK, I agree (do I have a choice), just please put the word "little" before dangly in quotation marks. Otherwise might be considered an offence to the male participants in the forum. :)


Ani you are very cool. I just wonder where is Stormy! :)

#6 Anileve

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 12:25 AM

Thanks, ditto! I am patiently waiting for the addition to our massive army! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks, I'll take a note of the qotation marks, wouldn't want to be banned for gender related misinterpreted insults. :D

#7 hyebruin

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 12:56 AM

AND....embryologically we all started out as female, but some of us grew a bit/a lot!! :rolleyes: or a whole lot!! :o

#8 angel4hope

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:13 PM

true broosterina--i was about to post that----here it goes.........

In early stage of embryonic development- each cells environment consists of its cellular neighbors.
Later in the process- development is affected by another kind of environment-the organisms own bodily fluids-esp. blood.
In mammals- the bloodstream of the embryos is intimately connected to the mother’s blood supply- so this too becomes a part of the embryo’s environment.
Example of influence exerted through the bloodstream is the development of sexual structures and behavior.
Someone is genetically male if he is chromosomally XY and genetically female if XX.
After about 6wks of gestation, human embryo has primordial gonads- body’s primary sex organs- ovaries in female and testes in male. --that is yet to give the indication of baby’s sex.
A week or so later, the chromosomes initiate the differentiation of ovaries and testes.
In a genetic male- the XY chromosome pair leads to formation of testes- once formed- these produce androgens- male sex hormones- such as testosterone- and the presence of these hormones in bloodstream steers differentiation of external genitals.
Formation of female’s external genitals depends on hormones-indirectlyŕ as long as no androgens circulate in bloodstream, fetus will develop appropriate female organs---
Thus basic genetic plan for humans, shared by both sexes, seems to call for building a female--no androgens=female organs.
Chromosome pairs define individual’s genetic sex, but they way in which that sex is actually shaped depends on organism’s internal environment- presence/absence of male hormones in bloodstream.

heres an extract from my paper in psych class--chapter on development

#9 Sip

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:15 PM

... but some of us grew a bit/a lot!! :rolleyes: or a whole lot!! :o

Yah I know what you mean. B)

#10 angel4hope

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:26 PM

women have larger corpus collosums than men, more axons than men, and greater interconnectivity between hemispheres.
therefore women tend to have more of both hemispheres involved and tend to have more areas of hemispheres ----

difference between right and left hemisphere (from a recent study in UCSD on neurobiology and difference between men and women)

left hemisphere has more gray matter--has to do with speech development) gray matter consists of neural cell bodies.
right hemisphere has more white matter (spatial reasoning) white matter consists of axons that connect with neusrons--myelination of axons to make firing more precise and faster)
left hemisphere is more dominant and sends inhibition to right hemisphere to keep it in control-----
AMAZING FACT:
left hemisphere is more "happy" damage to left hemisphere-example from stroke--results in change in persons behavior--person becomes more melancholy--but stimulation to left hemisphere (not damage) results in elevation of moods--happiness....
right hemisphere is more "melancholy"---damage to right hemisphere causes person t become happier---but stimulation to it causes melancholia...
females tend to use the left side of their brains more than males--evident in PET(positron emission tomography scans) scans and EEG's (electroencephalograms)--hopefully i did not misspell these.....makes you wonder........about why males are soo different from females........

#11 DominO

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:36 PM

SHould I start? Only if everyone promess to not run away. The brain is one of my favoured subjects.

BTW angel4hope, you impress me. :)

#12 angel4hope

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:41 PM

hehe thank you Domino-- the brain is also one of my favorite subjects of discussion and of study, afterall i am majoring in psychology and planning to minor in neurobiology and developmental biology....and go ahead- i promise i will not run away- i am rather intrigued with the topic myself--plan on researching after i complete college....

#13 bellthecat

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:46 PM

It would be fair to note, that nevertheless male's "little" dangly is much more complex organ than female's trully little thing. :)

But, unfortunately for us men, that "truly little thing" is attached to a woman - a creature that is so complex that it is impossible to ever understand :).

#14 Sip

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:47 PM

Although a discussion about female hemispheres is a very tempting one for me to jump into ...

I wanted to ask this ... if the females are so much more robust than men (and can live longer), why is it that the guy is stuck outside in the cold temperature doing xhorovats during get togethers?

But I have to say ... very interesting info here. :thumbup:

#15 angel4hope

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:47 PM

ohh and one of my verry favorite studies in on the case study of H.M, studies on commiserotomy patients-splitt brain patients, and this ercent one on the "alien hand" the inner-manual conflict--in splitt brain patients--due to damage to supplementary motor area-- and of course i cannot neglect the study on face perception--the facial fusiform area, --ventromedial and dorsal- an the thalamus-- Copgra's Syndrome, Fregoli Syndrome---i suggest you read about thes---rather intersting topic to read up one.....

#16 angel4hope

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:49 PM

seaphan you are a demq---seriously--well because its an armenian "thing" for the males to do the khorovats and women to cook at home--i guess-i dont know exactly- but i always help my dad with the khorovats outside-i dont think it matters!!

#17 angel4hope

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:51 PM

okay Domino- you really got me fired up here once i get started on these brain and behavior studies i can not stop okay self...breath breath breath... sorry this topic really compells me.......but i have somany things to do today- i will try not to post too much----

#18 bellthecat

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:57 PM

-Women and men age differently. First of all, women live longer than men. Part of women's advantage with respect to life expectancy is biological. They seem to be more resilient than men at all ages.

Why? Are you sure this is biological? Maybe it is lifestyle - men generally have to work physically harder, and tend to do more damage to themselves through smoking, drinking, violence, etc, and tend to get killed off a lot in wars that happen every few generations!

If it were all to do with nature then you would think that men should live longer than women since post-menopausal woman have, in an evolutionary sense, no reason to still be alive because they are just a waste of resources.

#19 DominO

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:57 PM

Well angel4hope, my "interest"(actually it's more than an interest :) ) is the role of the amygdala/hypothalamus region and the neurotransmetters involved in the cykotine autoimmune reaction. The role of axons in the formation of conscienceness and that they make of the brain a Quantum computer, is also a favoured for me. Let me see on what I could discuss about. :)

Edited by Fadix, 26 November 2003 - 07:59 PM.


#20 angel4hope

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Posted 26 November 2003 - 08:02 PM

hehe seaphan you are proving my theory of you being a "demq"


---
Edit By Sip below:

Sorry I accidentally deleted my own post. For those who didn't see it, I was referring to Bell's reply about evolutinarily useless post-menopausal women and the fact that he wouldn't be saying that if he had had a taste of my grandma's culinary :chef: creations. :) --Sip




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