Glossary

AMH
Anti-Müllerian hormone.
androgens
Hormones including testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and androstenedione that control the development of male characteristics.
anti-Müllerian hormone
A hormone produced in the male embryo that causes the Mullerian (female) ducts to regress.
biological sex
The assignment of a person as male, female, or something else, based on the presence and appearance of internal and external sex organs and other anatomical features.
bipotential
Having two possible outcomes, for example male or female.
CAH
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a condition that results in altered production of sex steroids and can affect sex development.
chordee
Irregular curvature of the penis (The "h" is silent).
chromosome
Package of DNA present in every cell. Human cells typically have 46 chromosomes: 22 pairs of chromosomes called autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes (X plus X or X plus Y)
conception
The union of an egg and a sperm.
congenital
Existing at birth.
cryptorchidism
A condition in which one or both testes have not descended into the scrotum, and instead remain within the body cavity.
diagnosis
Classification of a medical condition and/or its cause.
differentiation
The process by which part of the embryo takes on its specialised appearance and function.
endocrine
Relating to hormones or their action.
estradiol
A hormone of the estrogen class.
estrogens
Steroid hormones responsible for regulating female reproductive development and cycling.
feminisation
The biological process of making an organism female.
FSH
Follicle-stimulating hormone, produced by the pituitary gland to regulate the hormonal and reproductive functions of the gonads.
gametes
Sperm or oocytes (eggs).
gender identity
The concept of whether a person adopts masculine or feminine characteristics, or identifies as male, female or something else).
genetic sex
The combination of sex chromosomes a person has, typically XX or XY.
genital ambiguity
A condition in which it is not possible to tell immediately whether a person is a male or a female by the appearance of the external genitals.
genital ridges
The embryonic tissues that give rise to testes or ovaries.
genital tubercle
A small projection in the groin of an embryo that will later give rise to either a penis or a clitoris.
genitalia
A synonym for genitals.
genitals
Sex-specific parts of the body involved in reproduction.
gestation
The period of life before birth.
GnRH
Hormone produced by the hypothalamus that signals to the pituitary, which in turn signal to the gonads to regulate their reproductive development and function.
gonadal dysgenesis
Irregular development of the gonads.
granulosa cells
Specialised cells of the ovary that surround and protect developing oocytes (eggs).
hormone
Small molecule that the body uses to send signals from one organ to another.
HPG axis
Trio of glands (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Gonads) that regulate reproductive physiology
hypospadias
A condition in males where the opening of the urethra comes to be somewhere other than at the tip of the penis.
hypothalamus
A small gland in the brain that helps to regulate gonadal activity by producing the hormone GnRH. It is part of the so-called HPG axis, the trio of glands that regulate reproductive physiology.
INSL3
Insulin-like growth factor 3: a hormone involved in testicular descent.
intersex
Neither completely male nor completely female, but having a mixture of male and female characteristics.
karyotype
A description of the number and appearance of the chromosomes a person carries.
labia
Externally visible portions of the vulva, which surround and protect the clitoris and the openings of the vagina and urethra in females.
labioscrotal folds
Embryonic structures from which the scrotum or the labia will later develop.
Leydig cell
Specialised cell type of the testis. Leydig cells make hormones including testosterone.
LH
Luteinizing hormone, produced by the pituitary gland to regulate the hormonal and reproductive functions of the gonads.
luteinizing hormone
One of the hormones produced by the pituitary gland that regulates the hormonal and reproductive functions of the gonads.
masculinisation
The biological process of making an organism male.
Müllerian
A pair of ducts in the embryo that will give rise to the female reproductive tract, including oviducts, Fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and upper vagina.
Müllerian inhibiting substance
Synonym for anti-Müllerian hormone.
micropenis
Medical term for an unusually small penis.
mosaicism
A situation where different cells in the body have different numbers of chromosomes.
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging: a non-invasive medical technique used to obtain an image of an internal anatomical structure.
oestrogens
Alternative spelling of estrogens.
oocyte
Egg.
orchiopexy
The medical procedure of moving the testes out of the body cavity and into the scrotum.
ovotestes
Organs that has some features of testes and some features of ovaries.
ovotestis
An organ that has some features of a testis and some features of an ovary.
pediatrician
A doctor who specialises in dealing with children.
perineum
The region between the genitals and the anus.
phallus
Generic term that can refer to the penis or clitoris, cognate structures in males and females that derive from the same embryonic structure, the genital tubercle.
pituitary gland
A small gland in the brain that helps to regulate gonadal activity by producing luteinising hormone (LH). It is part of the so-called HPG axis, the trio of glands that regulate reproductive physiology.
prognosis
Implications of a medical condition for a person's future life.
reproductive duct
Tubular structure connecting a gonad with the external genitals, required for reproduction.
scrotum
The sac that usually contains the testes.
Sertoli cell
Specialised cell type of the testes. Sertoli cells protect and nourish developing sperm.
sex determination
The process by which genetic instructions that trigger male or female development are activated in the developing embryo.
sex reversal
Condition in which the biological sex is the opposite of what is expected based on the person's sex chromosomes - that is, XY femaleness or XX maleness.
sexual orientation
The concept of whether a person identifies as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or other.
SOX9
A critical sex development gene required for the initial stages of testis development in the embryo.
SRY
The gene from the Y chromosome that triggers male sex determination.
steroid
A class of chemical that contains four linked cycloalkane rings. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.
syndrome
A condition that combines several clinical features.
testosterone
A masculinising hormone produced by the Leydig cells of the testis.
trait
Scientific term for a characteristic of an organism.
ultrasound
A non-invasive medical technique based on reflection of sound waves, used to obtain an image of an internal anatomical structure.
urethra
Tube through which urine is passed.
urogenital folds
An alternative name for labioscrotal folds, embryonic structures from which the scrotum or the labia will later develop.
virilisation
The biological process of making an organism male.
Wolffian
A pair of ducts in the embryo that will give rise to the male reproductive tract.