List and describe three examples of secondary sexual charact

List and describe three examples of secondary sexual characteristics each for males and females.

Solution

Secondary sex characteristics are features that appear at sexual maturity in animals and during puberty in humans, Secondary sex characteristics are Traits that distinguish the biological sexes of a species, but are not directly part of the reproductive system.

Examples of secondary sex characteristics in humans include shorter stature and wider pelvis, breast development, and more fat in the thighs and buttocks in women and broader shoulders, greater muscle mass, more facial and other body hair, and “male pattern” baldness in men.

Male secondary sexual characteristics of hair:

The pubic regions is usually the first to develop hair
Facial hair begins at the corner of the mouth and spreads to the midline - followed by the rest of the face
Body hair develops long before facial hair growth is complete (arm pit, legs, arms, buttocks, back)

Male secondary sexual characteristics of vocal changes:

Rapid growth of the larynx - larger and stronger
The thyroid cartilage increases in dimension creating the Adam\'s apple
Vocal cords lengthen and thicken.

Male secondary sexual characteristics of the body:

Increase in body size, weight and strength (musculature)
Correlated to increase in testosterone levels

Female secondary sexual characteristics of hair:

The pubic regions is usually the first to develop hair
Body hair develops slightly later (arm pit, legs, arms)

female secondary sexual characteristics of the pelvis:

Broadens and changes from a narrow funnel-like outlet, to a broad oval outlet, flaring at the hip
Fat cells increase in number around the buttocks and thighs

Female secondary sexual characteristics of the breasts:

Tanner Stages
Tanner I
no glandular tissue, typically age 10 and younger
Tanner II
Breast bud forms, with small area of surrounding glandular tissue, 10-11.5
Tanner III
breast begins to become more elevated, and extends beyond the borders of the areola, 11.5-13
Tanner IV
increased breast size and elevation, 13-15
Tanner V
breast reaches final adult size, 15+