• CADmonkey@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Human embryos (and probably others) start out female, and grow the male parts a fee weeks later. There is probably someone lurking who can give better details but that’s the gist of it. Thats why men have nipples.

    • LillyPip@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      You pretty much nailed it.

      Also, it gets much more complicated than that; at least 2% of humans are intersex, meaning they’re a mix of male and female, everywhere from outward presentation (rare) to chromosomal (more common).

      It’s not just gender that’s a spectrum: sex is, too. I said ‘at least’ because it’s possible for people to go their whole lives without realising they’re intersex. 2% is huge: if you know 100 people, statistically 2 of them are intersex. Most of us know more than that.

      The ‘only two genders’ thing is biologically bullshit. Biology is never cut and dried.

      eta: for reference, I have a disorder that’s been in the spotlight lately – Ehlers-Danlos – and you’ve probably at least heard of it. You’ve likely talked to someone who has it recently. It occurs in 1 in 20,000 people. Again, roughly 1 in 50 have intersex traits. I wish this had the visibility it deserves. It’s exceedingly normal.