The game of chromosome

Biologically humans are divided into men and women. Men fit into a particular slot in their society’s imagined human order. Their cultures’ myths assign them particular masculine roles with a corresponding role assignment of women’s unique feminine roles. As myths define the roles, rights, and duties of men and women, the meaning of manhood and womanhood have varied immensely from society to society. Gender is a serious business. To get to be a member of the male sex is the simplest thing in the world. You just need to be born with an X and Y chromosome. To get to be a female is equally simple. A pair of X chromosomes will do it. The basic template for the human body and brain is female —we all start out as girls. During 6-8 weeks the foetus is more or less sexless. If the foetus is the genetic boy (XY) it develops special cells that direct large amounts of male hormones, particularly testosterone, and configure the brain-wiring for masculine traits and behaviors, such as long-distance vision and spatial skills for throwing, hunting, and chasing. Sex-determining genes made us man and the lack of it left us woman (in birds it happened the other way around). The gene soon attracted to its side other genes that benefited men; genes for big muscles, say for aggressive tendencies. But because they weren’t needed in women, these sexually antagonistic genes, found themselves at an advantage in one sex and a disadvantage in the other…..a single X chromosome got brains flooded with testosterone to turn men more easily socially handicapped.

Division of labor necessitated men to grow athletic, taller but muscular, less fatty, heavier and stronger. Though the boys’ and girls’ bodies differ from the day they’re born, at birth both sexes possess the almost same absolute amount of fat. Boys soon deposit more muscle. Testosterone surges through an adolescent boy’s body, gives him a dramatic spurt of growth and a body ratio of 15% fat and 45% proteins. As he grows adolescent his body physically changes to match his biological job as a lunch-chasing machine. His body is harmonically constructed for effective breathing. The excellent oxygen distribution via red-blood cells allows him to run, jump and grapple. Steroids, the male hormones, build additional muscle to give extra hunting abilities. By the age of twenty, boys end up with a body composition similar to many other species—with unremarkable proportions of muscle, bone, fat and internal organs, longer larynx, and cords.

   

Other animals are playful when they’re young but lose this quality when they mature. Humans are Peter-Pan species that never grows up. They remain playful all their lives. Once they grow adult they call play by different names; art or research, sport or philosophy, music or poetry, travel or entertainment. Like childhood play, all these activities involve innovation, risk-taking, exploration, and creativity…. something uniquely human. On this childlike path, men’s brains retain little-boy features. Men are slightly more childlike in their behavior, women in their anatomy. Primeval women were too valuable to risk on the hunt. Males were expendable so they became the specialized risk-takers. As they did all this, they turned risk-takers, physically and mentally, more imaginative and sometimes perverse. Risk-taking would get men in trouble though it’s a valuable asset when in order to succeed in hunting they’re forced to risk.

The gender signals of men are their beards, heavier chins, noses, moustaches, bushier eyebrows, hairier nostrils/ears, and generally hairier body-surface not to be confused with the females (the exception is the scalp which frequently becomes balder in later life). Men are tall and heavy. They grow bigger bones and more muscle. They’re stronger (only with regard to certain types of strength) and can carry heavy loads. Men have proportionately longer legs and larger feet. They’re faster, more sure-footed runners. They’ve broader shoulders and long arms, and their forearms are longer in relation to their upper arms. Men have bigger hands with thicker fingers and strong thumbs. They’re better aimers, weapon throwers/graspers. They’ve bigger chests, housing larger lungs, and hearts. Their haws are thicker and sturdier. Men are better-breathers and long-distance chasers and have stronger skulls with heavier boney ridges. Together these features mean that they can call upon a greater respiratory response bringing with great stamina and quicker recovery from physical exertion. During exercise, their primary fuel is carbohydrates and not fat. Men are better protected against physical damage, though less resistant to hunger, disease, and fatigue.

Men are less sensitive to cold temperatures and don’t boast of a good sense of smell. They’re not good food tasters but score higher on discerning salty and bitter tastes. Men possess prominent Adam’s-apples; larger voice-boxes make the surrounding cartilage stick out more. At puberty voices of boys deepen an octave which gives them a more frightening roar, snarl, and shout, perhaps aimed at to intimidate human rivals, drive prey, or scare predators. The normal range at which the male voice can be understood is 200 yards (130-145 cycles/second). M cells that are responsible for tracking the movement of objects is widely distributed across the thick male retina. The tunnel vision helps men (as hunters) to move their gazes up and down and configure for long distances clearly and accurately, ditto a pair of binoculars. Combined with their right brain’s spatial ability, men can separate and identify the movement of other vehicles on the road ahead and behind during the night. X chromosome provides color cells. As men have only one X chromosome, they’re more likely to be colorblind.

Men are like oak trees. They grow straight and tall but lack the capacity to bend. Under a heavyweight, they may eventually snap and fall to the ground. Imagine, ozone from petrol burning cars triggers asthma in men. They seem to have an early bout of allergy and to outgrow it. They also typically have higher blood pressure and are vulnerable to heart attacks. As the dudes avoid seeking regular medical checkups, when they ultimately go to doctor, they’re more likely to hide or lie about their symptoms. As a result, they don’t mostly get diagnosed & treated at the right time. Testosterone-fuelled stallion invariably dies in accidents and violence.

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