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Man

A man is defined as an adult male human, with biological characteristics including an XY chromosome pair and male reproductive anatomy. Men typically exhibit secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle mass and body hair, which develop during puberty. Historically, traditional gender roles have influenced men's societal roles and health outcomes, often resulting in higher mortality rates in violent situations and dangerous occupations.

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Man

A man is defined as an adult male human, with biological characteristics including an XY chromosome pair and male reproductive anatomy. Men typically exhibit secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle mass and body hair, which develop during puberty. Historically, traditional gender roles have influenced men's societal roles and health outcomes, often resulting in higher mortality rates in violent situations and dangerous occupations.

Uploaded by

Mosarraf Hossain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A man is an adult male human.

[a][2][3] Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is


referred to as a boy.

Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits


an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the father. Sex
differentiation of the male fetus is governed by the SRY gene on the Y chromosome.
During puberty, hormones which stimulate androgen production result in the
development of secondary sexual characteristics that result in even more differences
between the sexes. These include greater muscle mass, greater height, the growth
of facial hair and a lower body fat composition. Male anatomy is distinguished from
female anatomy by the male reproductive system, which includes the testicles, sperm
ducts, prostate gland and epididymides, and penis. Secondary sex characteristics
include a narrower pelvis and hips, and smaller breasts and nipples.

Throughout human history, traditional gender roles have often defined men's activities
and opportunities. Men often face conscription into military service or are directed into
professions with high mortality rates. Many religious doctrines stipulate certain rules for
men, such as religious circumcision. Men are over-represented as both perpetrators
and victims of violence.

Trans men have a gender identity that does not align with their female sex
assignment at birth, while intersex men may have sex characteristics that do not fit
typical notions of male biology.

Etymology
Further information: Man (word), boy, father, husband, son, godparent, gentleman,
and widower
The English term "man" is derived from the Proto-Indo-
European root *man- (see Sanskrit/Avestan manu-, Slavic mǫž "man, male").[4] More
directly, the word derives from Old English mann. The Old English form primarily meant
"person" or "human being" and referred to men, women, and children alike. The Old
English word for "man" as distinct from "wif"/"woman" or "child" was wer. Mann only
came to mean "man" in Middle English, replacing wer, which survives today only in the
compounds "werewolf" (from Old English werwulf, literally "man-wolf"), and "wergild",
literally "man-payment".[5][6][7]

Biology
Main article: Sex differences in humans
Karyogram of a human male using Giemsa staining.
Human males typically possess an XY combination.
In humans, sperm cells carry either an X or a Y sex chromosome. If a sperm cell
carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes the female ovum, the offspring will have a male
karyotype (XY). The SRY gene is typically found on the Y chromosome and causes the
development of the testes, which in turn govern other aspects of male sex
differentiation. Sex differentiation in males proceeds in a testes-dependent way while
female differentiation is not gonad dependent.[8]

Primary sex characteristics (or sex organs) are characteristics that are present at birth
and are integral to the reproductive process. For men, primary sex characteristics
include the penis and testicles.

Adult humans exhibit sexual dimorphism in many other characteristics, many of which
have no direct link to reproductive ability. Humans are sexually dimorphic in body size,
body structure, and body composition. Men tend to be taller and heavier than women,
and adjusted for height, men tend to have greater lean and bone mass than women,
and lower fat mass.[9]

Photograph of an adult male human (right), with an adult


female for comparison. The pubic hair of both models is removed.
Secondary sex characteristics are features that appear during puberty in humans.[10]
[11]
Such features are especially evident in the sexually dimorphic phenotypic traits that
distinguish between the sexes, but—unlike the primary sex characteristics—are not
directly part of the reproductive system.[12][13][14] Secondary sexual characteristics that are
specific to men include:

 Broadened shoulders;[15]
 Increased body hair;
 An enlarged larynx (also known as an Adam's apple);[15] and
 A voice that is significantly deeper than the voice of a child or a woman. [13]
Men weigh more than women.[16] On average, men are taller than women by about 10%.
[16]
On average, men have a larger waist in comparison to their hips (see waist–hip ratio)
than women. In women, the index and ring fingers tend to be either more similar in size
or their index finger is slightly longer than their ring finger, whereas men's ring finger
tends to be longer.[17]

Reproductive system
Main article: Male reproductive system

A lateral cutaway of the human male lower abdomen, showing


the human male reproductive system anatomy
The internal male genitalia consist of the testicles, which produce sperm, the accessory
glands, which produce seminal fluid, the epididymides, which store sperm cells, and
the vasa deferentia and ejaculatory ducts, which transfer the mature sperm to the
urethra.

The external male genitalia consist of the penis and the scrotum, a pouch of skin
housing the testicles.[18]

Sperm cells are ejaculated in semen through the penis and enter the female
reproductive tract through the vagina. Sperm that pass from the vagina to
the uterus can enter the fallopian tubes and fertilize an egg, which develops into
an embryo. The study of male reproduction and associated organs is called andrology.
[19]

Testosterone stimulates the development of the Wolffian ducts, the penis, and closure
of the labioscrotal folds into the scrotum. Another significant hormone in sexual
differentiation is the anti-Müllerian hormone, which inhibits the development of
the Müllerian ducts. For males during puberty, testosterone, along
with gonadotropins released by the pituitary gland, stimulates spermatogenesis.[20]

Health
Further information: Gender disparities in health and Men's health
While a majority of the global health gender disparities is weighted against women,
there are situations in which men tend to fare poorer. One such instance is armed
conflicts, where men are often the immediate victims. A study of conflicts in 13 countries
from 1955 to 2002 found that 81% of all violent war deaths were male.[21] Apart from
armed conflicts, areas with high incidence of violence, such as regions controlled
by drug cartels, also see men experiencing higher mortality rates.[22] This stems from
social beliefs that associate ideals of masculinity with aggressive, confrontational
behavior.[23] Lastly, sudden and drastic changes in economic environments and the loss
of social safety nets, in particular social subsidies and food stamps, have also been
linked to higher levels of alcohol consumption and psychological stress among men,
leading to a spike in male mortality rates. This is because such situations often makes it
harder for men to provide for their family, a task that has been long regarded as the
"essence of masculinity."[24] A retrospective analyses of people infected with the
common cold found that doctors underrate the symptoms of men, and are more willing
to attribute symptoms and illness to women than men.[25] Women live longer than men in
all countries, and across all age groups, for which reliable records exist.[26] In the United
States, men are less healthy than women across all social classes. Non-white men are
especially unhealthy. Men are over-represented in dangerous occupations and
represent a majority of on the job deaths. Further, medical doctors provide men with
less service, less advice, and spend less time with men than they do with women per
medical encounter.[27]

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