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sexual character
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sexual character

biology
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Quick Summary

In biology, a character refers to any observable trait of an organism, whether it's inherited or acquired through environmental responses. Inherited characters are passed down through genes, while acquired characters are developed due to environmental influences.1

Sexual characters are features that distinguish males from females. These are divided into two categories:
* Primary sexual characters: These are the reproductive organs and gametes (sex cells) present at birth, such as testes and ovaries.12
* Secondary sexual characters: These are other structural or visual differences that emerge during puberty, like the development of breasts, facial hair, or differences in voice pitch.13

Sex determination is typically established by genes inherited on specific chromosomes at fertilization, which influence the development of sexual glands and hormone production.4

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
6 Britannica Sources
  1. character
  2. primary sex character
  3. secondary sex character
  4. sex determination
  5. sex - Sex chromosomes
  6. sex - Sex differences in animals

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