Sex differences in humans

Sex differences in humans are average biological differences between females and males in anatomy, physiology, development, and some behavior. Their distributions often overlap, and patterns vary across traits and individuals.

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Sex: A biological classification associated with reproductive anatomy, gametes, and related developmental traits. The broad classification underlying comparisons between female and male traits.
Gonadal sex: Classification based on the type of gonads, such as ovaries or testes, an individual has. Gonads produce hormones and gametes that shape several sex-related traits.
Sex-specific medicine: Medical practice and research that account for biological differences associated with sex. Sex-linked differences can affect disease risks, symptoms, and treatment responses.
Gender: Socially shaped roles, identities, expressions, and relations associated with gender categories. Gender is distinct from biological traits, though the two can interact.
Sexual dimorphism: A difference in form between members of different sexes within a species. Names sex-linked differences in traits, while allowing their size to vary.
Sex determination system: The biological process by which an organism develops along a sex-related pathway. Human sex development involves interacting genetic, hormonal, and anatomical processes.
Sex as a biological variable: The practice of considering sex in the design, analysis, and reporting of biomedical research. It helps researchers test whether findings differ between female and male subjects.
Sex and gender distinction: A conceptual distinction between biological sex traits and social or psychological aspects of gender. It clarifies which kinds of differences a study measures.
Human sexual development: The developmental processes that form reproductive anatomy and other sex-related traits in humans. Explains how many sex-related traits emerge before birth and at puberty.
Puberty: The developmental period in which reproductive maturity and secondary sex characteristics emerge. Hormonal changes at puberty widen or create differences in several traits.