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

If you go by the available chromosomes, your sex is predetermined, as in, what you will be by the time you’re born.

But, functionally, it takes about 6 weeks before we develop into a male if there’s a y chromosome around. The y chromosome comes from the sperm.

Side fact: Because the sperm carries the y chromosome, a male can be cloned into a female version, but a female can’t be cloned into a male version.