Developmental mechanisms of sex differences: from cells to organisms

2021/10/01 by Judith E. Mank, Elizabeth J. Rideout · 1 voice · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities #Sex and Gender in Healthcare

paper · pdf · doi:10.1242/dev.199750

openalex publication_date 2021/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

Male-female differences in many developmental mechanisms lead to the formation of two morphologically and physiologically distinct sexes. Although this is expected for traits with prominent differences between the sexes, such as the gonads, sex-specific processes also contribute to traits without obvious male-female differences, such as the intestine. Here, we review sex differences in developmental mechanisms that operate at several levels of biological complexity - molecular, cellular, organ and organismal - and discuss how these differences influence organ formation, function and whole-body physiology. Together, the examples we highlight show that one simple way to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of animal development is to include both sexes.

Citations

• The embryonic cell lineage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
• Sex Differences in Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
• The Digestive Tract of Drosophila melanogaster
• Sex differences in immune responses
• Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling in animal reproductive system development and function

Cited by

• Drosophila as a Genetic Model System to Study Organismal Energy Metabolism

Discussions

• Did you know that cells in culture exhibit sex differences? I didn’t until I talked with @EJRideout. In @Dev_journal Developmental mechanisms of sex differences: from cells to organisms https://doi.or [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]

Related

• Both cell‐autonomous mechanisms and hormones contribute to sexual development in vertebrates and insects
• Gonadal sex determination in vertebrates: rethinking established mechanisms
• Sex Determination: Why So Many Ways of Doing It?
• Sex of the cell dictates its response: differential gene expression and sensitivity to cell death inducing stress in male and female cells
• Are There Two Sexes? Yes and No, But Mostly No (and Gender is Something Else Anyway – More or Less)