Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory Office of Science NEWTON's Homepage NEWTON's Homepage
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne Hermaphrodites 
Name: Pat J Bushong
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
How is it possible for people to be born hermaphrodites?


Replies:
Because the sexual organs derive from common precursors, these precursors can develop into a combination of male and female organs, or, often, into the male organ on one side of the body and the female on the other with the external genitals being a hybrid of the two. This condition is rare, with only 302 reported cases between 1899 (the first medical report) and 1974. All of this is caused by a hormonal failure in the fetus, not by the XX or XY genotype. The word hermaphrodite, by the way, comes from the two Greek gods Hermes (male) and Aphrodite (female). You could find out more in a textbook on human development: look in the section on development of the urogenital system. This information comes from Animal Development, by Hopper & Hart, 2nd ed.

--ProfBill


Click here to return to the Biology Archives

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.

For assistance with NEWTON contact a System Operator (help@newton.dep.anl.gov), or at Argonne's Educational Programs

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory