Hormonal Differentiation
In a male fetus, testes produce steroid and protein hormones essential for internal and external anatomic differentiation. Leydig cells begin to make testosterone by the end of month 2 of gestation. From then on, male fetuses have higher levels of androgens in their systemic blood than females. The difference is even greater in pelvic and genital tissues. Antimullerian hormone (AMH) is a protein hormone produced by Sertoli cells from the 8th week on. AMH suppresses development of müllerian ducts in males, preventing development of a uterus.
Fetal ovaries produce estradiol, which supports follicular maturation but plays little part in other aspects of prenatal sexual differentiation, as maternal estrogen floods fetuses of both sexes.
Read more about this topic: Sexual Differentiation
Famous quotes containing the word hormonal:
“The smallest fact about the connection between character and hormonal balance offers more insight into the soul than a five-story idealistic system [of philosophy] does.”
—Robert Musil (1880–1942)