Man

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This article is about adult human males. For humans in general, see Human. For other
uses, see Man (disambiguation).
"Manhood" and "Men" redirect here. For other uses, see Manhood
(disambiguation) and Men (disambiguation).
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A man is an adult male human.[1][2] Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as

a boy (a male child or adolescent).
Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits
an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the father. The
male fetus produces larger amounts of androgens and smaller amounts
of estrogens than a female fetus. This difference in the relative amounts of these sex
steroids is responsible for the physiological differences that distinguish men
from women. During puberty, hormones which stimulate androgen production result in
the development of secondary sexual characteristics, thus exhibiting greater differences
between the sexes. These include greater muscle mass, the growth of facial hair and a
lower body fat composition.
Male anatomy is distinguished from female anatomy by the male reproductive system,
which includes the penis, testicles, sperm duct, prostate gland and the epididymis, as
well as seconday sex characteristics.
There are exceptions to the above in regards to transgender and intersex men.
 Contents

 1Etymology and terminology

 2Biology
o 2.1Reproductive system
o 2.2Sex hormones
o 2.3Health
 3Sexuality and gender
 4Masculinity
 5Gender symbol
 6See also
o 6.1Dynamics
o 6.2Medical
o 6.3Political
 7References
 8Further reading
 9External links

Etymology and terminology

Further information: Man (word), boy, father, husband, son, godparent, gentleman,
and widower
The English term "man" is derived from the Proto-Indo-
European root *man- (see Sanskrit/Avestan manu-, Slavic mǫž "man, male").[3] More
directly, the word derives from Old English mann. The Old English form primarily meant
"person" or "human being" and referred to men, women, and children alike. The Old
English word for "man" as distinct from "woman" or "child" was wer. Mann only came to
mean "man" in Middle English, replacing wer, which survives today only in the
compound "werewolf" (from Old English werwulf, literally "man-wolf").[4][5]

Biology
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Main articles: Secondary sexual characteristics and Sex differences in humans
See also: Trans man and Intersexuality
Photograph of an adult male human, with an adult female for comparison. Note that the pubic hair of both
models is removed.

In human beings, the sex of an individual is determined at the time of fertilization by the
genetic material carried in the sperm cell. If a sperm cell carrying an X
chromosome fertilizes the egg, the offspring will typically be female (XX). On the other
hand, if a sperm cell carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes the egg, the offspring will
typically be male (XY). The actual determining factor is the SRY gene, which is normally
found on the Y chromosome. People with ambiguous genetic or physiological structure
are referred to as intersex. Sex chromosome aneuploidies, such as XYY syndrome, can
also occur.
Like most other male mammals, a man's genome typically inherits
an X chromosome from his mother and a Y chromosome from his father. The
male fetus produces larger amounts of androgens and smaller amounts
of estrogens than a female fetus. This difference in the relative amounts of these sex
steroids is largely responsible for the physiological differences that distinguish men from
women.[6]
Humans exhibit sexual dimorphism in many characteristics, many of which have no
direct link to reproductive ability, although most of these characteristics do have a role in
sexual attraction. Most expressions of sexual dimorphism in humans are found in
height, weight, and body structure, though there are always examples that do not follow
the overall pattern. For example, men tend to be taller than women, but there are many
people of both sexes who are in the mid-height range for the species.
Primary sex characteristics (or sex organs) are characteristics that are present at birth
and are integral to the reproductive process. For men, primary sex characteristics
include the penis and testicles. Secondary sex characteristics are features that appear
during puberty in humans.[7][8] Such features are especially evident in the sexually
dimorphic phenotypic traits that distinguish between the sexes, but—unlike the primary
sex characteristics—are not directly part of the reproductive system.[9][10][11] Secondary
sexual characteristics that are specific to men include:
The human male reproductive system

 Facial hair;[10]
 Chest hair;[12]
 Broadened shoulders;[13]
 An enlarged larynx (also known as an Adam's apple);[13] and
 A voice that is significantly deeper than the voice of a child or a woman. [10]
Reproductive system
Main article: Male reproductive system (human)
The male reproductive system includes external and internal genitalia. The male
external genitalia consist of the penis, the male urethra, and the scrotum, while the male
internal genitalia consist of the testes, the prostate, the epididymis, the seminal vesicle,
the vas deferens, the ejaculatory duct, and the bulbourethral gland. [14]
The male reproductive system's function is to produce semen, which carries sperm and
thus genetic information that can unite with an egg within a woman. Since sperm that
enters a woman's uterus and then fallopian tubes goes on to fertilize an egg which
develops into a fetus or child, the male reproductive system plays no necessary role
during the gestation. The study of male reproduction and associated organs is
called andrology.

Karyogram of human male using Giemsa staining. Human males typically possess an XY combination.

Sex hormones
In mammals, the hormones that influence sexual differentiation and development
are androgens (mainly testosterone), which stimulate later development of the ovary. In
the sexually undifferentiated embryo, testosterone stimulates the development of
the Wolffian ducts, the penis, and closure of the labioscrotal folds into the scrotum.
Another significant hormone in sexual differentiation is the anti-Müllerian hormone,
which inhibits the development of the Müllerian ducts. For males during puberty,
testosterone, along with gonadotropins released by the pituitary gland,
stimulates spermatogenesis.
Health
Main article: Gender disparities in health
Although in general men suffer from many of the same illnesses as women, they suffer
from slightly more illnesses in comparison to women. Men have lower life
expectancy[15] and higher suicide rates[16] compared to women.

Sexuality and gender