Sexual differentiation

Sexual differentiation
Differentiation of the male and female reproductive systems does not occur until the fetal period of development.
Anatomical terminology

Sexual differentiation is the process of development of the sex differences between males and females from an undifferentiated zygote. Sex differentiation is usually distinct from sex determination; sex determination is the designation of the development stage towards either male or female, while sex differentiation is the pathway towards the development of the phenotype.

In many species, testicular or ovarian differentiation begins with the appearance of Sertoli cells in males and granulosa cells in females.

As embryos develop into mature adults, sex differences develop at many levels, including chromosomes, gonads, hormones, and anatomy. Beginning with determining sex by genetic and/or environmental factors, humans and other organisms proceed towards different differentiation pathways as they grow and develop.

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