Development of the Cerebral Cortex: XV. Sexual Differentiation of the Central Nervous System

Previous co lum ns ill lhi s Sl'r1l"\ haw d t'sn ihnl lilt' dvn.uuir inte rpl ay bet ween lh l' d l'vdopill ~ l :N S a nd IlUIl\, neu rutroph ic a lld tr.m scr ipt ion.il Llc tors im rin sic to till' ( :NS . H owever , ti lr so me rl'~iom of the ( :NS rhi-, is not the on ly sto ry, Hormones art' also required lil r (he proper development an d scu lpli ng of key ar l'as of our br.un s. Ou r current under standing is that rhc initial blueprint fiH the devel opment of our br a ins and hodil's is ll-malc, [)u ri n~ dcvcl opnlt'llt . however, there are li llll'S when o ne cannot accurately dcrcnn iuc the Sl'X of a n embryo or ti: tus o n the basis of h is/her gOll.lds hl'C1ml' they are at an indillcrcnt stag e and arc identical in lilt' IWO Sl'Xl'S, Horh Sl'Xt'S haw lhl' anlage o f both male and li 'lllall' in rc rna l sex orga ns , H ow then do m ales and lcmalcs liltima ll' ly cornv 1O d itli-r an.uomica lly and funcrioually? Hormon.rl inliucnc« is part of the answer. Testicular hormoues appea r 10 bl' the principal causl' of the masculinization