I'm not aware of any studies comparing the thyroid gland between the sexes. The situation with the pituitary is a bit more complicated. Many studies have reported differences between the male and female hypothalamus (which largely controls the pituitary). For example, the so-called sexually dimorphic nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus is, if I recall correctly, typically larger in males. There appear to be other areas of the brain that differ between the sexes, including some cortical areas.
Could those differences account for some differences in behavior? Potentially. But (and please excuse the bad pun), this may be a case where size doesn't matter, but what matters is the functioning of the cells in those areas. John -- John Serafin Psychology Department Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA 15650 [email protected] From: "James K. Denson" <[email protected]> Reply-To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 14:20:37 -0400 To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> Conversation: Student Question Subject: [tips] Student Question Does the size of the pituitary gland or thyroid gland differ between males & females? If so, can that difference partially explain the different behaviors we see in men & women? I realize that it won't be a complete explanation but we are in the biology chapter and hence thinking from a neuroscience perspective. Thanks in advance for your help J. Kevin Denson Social Studies Department Chair AP Psychology/Psychology Teacher Kempsville High School Head Boys Varsity Soccer Coach First Colonial High School --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
