Abstract

DIAZ-HERNANDEZ, Verónica  and  MERCHANT-LARIOS, Horacio. A consideration of the establishment of sex in mammals. TIP [online]. 2017, vol.20, n.1, pp.27-39. ISSN 1405-888X.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.recqb.2016.11.003.

Establishment of sex in mammals occurs at the moment of fertilization, however, the determination and sexual differentiation of the gonad is required in order to establish the sexual phenotype of the individual. Since the discovery of the Sry gene as the testis-determining factor, progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms that lead to testicular development and establishment of the male phenotype. Although the female phenotype is acquired even in the absence of the gonad, differentiation and ovarian maturation are required for the establishment of secondary sexual characteristics. This work aims to describe the mechanisms involved in sexual determination of the gonad and integrate them with the histological aspects that contribute to gonadal sex differentiation. Once the gonadal sex is established, molecular aspects involved in the masculinization of the individual are addressed. Finally, a brief review of the pathological processes resulting from the alteration of the establishment of sex in humans is undertaken.

Keywords : sex determination; sex differentiation; gonad; ovary; testicle.