In a developing fetus, what influences whether it is going to become male or female? What influences the cells to start building male or female organs?

Question

In a developing fetus, what influences whether it is going to become male or female? What influences the cells to start building male or female organs?

In: 274

Answer 1

Oi. The XY chromosome thing is a simplified explanation from 6th grade science. The reality is its MUCH more complex. Scientific American published an article just touching on the complexities of [sex and gender development]([https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/sa-visual/visualizing-sex-as-a-spectrum/](https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/sa-visual/visualizing-sex-as-a-spectrum/)) in 2017 that touches on it and also offers a visual of just how many moving parts go into it and where they can diverge.