Testosterone
Levels of testosterone in both men and women play a very important role to their individual development. Starting just a few weeks in to the gestation period, testosterone begins influencing the physical characteristics of a baby. These influences will to shape and mold physical and physiological characteristics of the child all the way through adult hood.
Testosterone is a key component to the development of human males. This anabolic steroid is also found in reptiles, birds, other mammals and vertebrates. The primary point of secretion in men is in the testes and alternatively in the ovaries in women. The second secretion point comes from the adrenal glands, they secrete a small amount.
The average male adult will produce approximately ten times more testosterone than and adult female, but interestingly enough the female body has a higher sensitivity to the hormone.
Testosterone is crucial in the development of increased muscle and bone mass as well as the growth of body hair. It also plays an integral role during the development of the male reproductive tissues, such as the prostate and the testes.
The physiological effects of testosterone can vary quite a lot in different stages of development and art typically defined by the age of typical occurrence and look as follows:
Prenatal
In males testosterone is responsible for gender identity between four and six weeks of the gestation period. Reproductive organs begin forming and taking shape such as a phallic urethra and scrotal thinning. The prostate is developed as well as the seminal vesicles.
Pre Puberty
At the end of childhood there is a rise in androgen levels in both the male and female body. This will cause accelerated bone maturation, growth spurts and axillary hair growth. Children at this age will also begin producing body odor and increased oil production in the skin and hair, acne can be a result of this.
Puberty
When androgen levels have been higher than normal adult female levels for a period of several months or sometimes taking years, the male pubertal effects will begin. There are many effects caused by the increased levels such as facial, chest, and pubic hair, there is a growth in the Adam’s apple and the voice deepens, the shoulders will broaden and the rib cage will expand, bone growth is also complete.Adult
Testosterone has strong cues of playing role in an “honest signaling” system between potential mates in evolutionary terms. It has been shown that when a male falls in love his testosterone levels will decrease. These levels will continue to fall during fatherhood which will cause emotional and behavioral changes with would seem to promote paternal care.
Testosterone plays an integral role in the overall development of humans, both men and women. The increased levels in mean and the small amounts of it in women create the facets of what differentiate and attract the opposite sexes. Starting out very early on, before a child is even born, testosterone has been hard at work shaping and molding everyone in to who they are today.
