Rule #11: Male and female brains are different

  • The X chromosomes that males have one of and females have two of--though one acts as a backup--is a cognitive "hot spot", carrying an unusually large percentage of genes involved in brain manufacture.
  • Women are genetically more complex, because the active X chromosomes in their cells are a mix of Mom's and Dad's. Men's chromosomes all come from Mom, and their Y chromosome carries less than 100 genes, compared with about 1,500 for the X chromosome.
  • Men's and women's brains are different structurally and biochemically--men have a bigger amygdala and produce serotonin faster, for example--but we don't know if those differences have significance.
  • Men and women respond differently to acute stress: women activate the left hemisphere's amydala and remember the emotional details. men use the right amydgdala and get the gist.
Apri il tema padre ("Brain Rules (notes from John Medina's book)")