Margaret M. McCarthy (1995) How About Sexually Differentiating Factors
. Psycoloquy: 6(32) Sex Brain (7)
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Psycoloquy 6(32): How About Sexually Differentiating Factors
HOW ABOUT SEXUALLY DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS
OTHER THAN ESTROGEN?
Commentary on Fitch & Denenberg on Sex-Brain
Margaret M. McCarthy
Department of Physiology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
655 W. Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
mmccarth@umabnet.ab.umd.edu
Abstract
Whereas the evidence of estrogen-mediated sexual
differentiation is irrefutable, the strength of this evidence may
have inadvertantly prejudiced researchers against looking to other
factors in the differentiation process. Consideration of the role
of progesterone, as well as additional non-steroidal ovarian
secretions, may provide additional insights into mechanisms of
sexual differentiation. Further consideration of non-ovarian
factors, such as the potential role of genes involved in peripheral
sexual differentiation and the influence of changes in afferent
input, would be equally valuable in elucidating the mechanisms of
sexual differentiation.
Keywords
corpus callosum, development, estrogen, feminization,
ovaries, sensitive period.
References
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