The English term "man" is derived from the
Proto-Indo-European root
*man- (see
Sanskrit/
Avestan manu-,
Slavic mǫž "man, male"). More directly, the word derives from
Old English mann. The Old English form primarily meant "person" or "human being" and referred to men, women, and children alike. The Old English word for "man" as distinct from "
wif"/"
woman" or "child" was
wer.
Mann only came to mean "man" in Middle English, replacing
wer, which survives today only in the compounds "
werewolf" (from Old English
werwulf, literally "man-wolf"), and "
wergild", literally "man-payment". == Biology == of a human male using
Giemsa staining. Human males typically possess an
XY combination. In humans, sperm cells carry either an
X or a
Y sex chromosome. If a sperm cell carrying a
Y chromosome fertilizes the female
ovum, the offspring will have a male karyotype (XY). The
SRY gene is typically found on the Y chromosome and causes the development of the testes, which in turn govern other aspects of
male sex differentiation. Sex differentiation in males proceeds in a testes-dependent way while female differentiation is not gonad dependent. Primary sex characteristics (or sex organs) are characteristics that are present at birth and are integral to the reproductive process. For men, primary sex characteristics include the
penis and
testicles. Adult humans exhibit
sexual dimorphism in many other characteristics, many of which have no direct link to reproductive ability. Humans are sexually dimorphic in body size, body structure, and body composition. Men tend to be taller and heavier than women, and adjusted for height, men tend to have greater lean and bone mass than women, and lower fat mass. of both models is removed. |alt=Photograph of an adult male human, with an adult female for comparison. The
pubic hair of both models is removed. Secondary sex characteristics are features that appear during
puberty in
humans. Such features are especially evident in the
sexually dimorphic phenotypic traits that distinguish between the sexes, but—unlike the primary sex characteristics—are not directly part of the
reproductive system. Secondary sexual characteristics that are specific to men include: • Broadened shoulders; • Increased body hair; • An enlarged larynx (also known as an
Adam's apple); On average, men are taller than women by about 10%.
Reproductive system anatomy The internal male genitalia consist of the
testicles, which produce
sperm, the
accessory glands, which produce seminal fluid, the
epididymides, which store sperm cells, and the
vasa deferentia and
ejaculatory ducts, which transfer the mature sperm to the urethra. The external male genitalia consist of the
penis and the
scrotum, a pouch of skin housing the testicles. Sperm cells are
ejaculated in
semen through the penis and enter the female reproductive tract through the
vagina. Sperm that pass from the vagina to the
uterus can enter the
fallopian tubes and
fertilize an
egg, which develops into an
embryo. The study of male reproduction and associated organs is called
andrology. Testosterone stimulates the development of the
Wolffian ducts, the penis, and closure of the
labioscrotal folds into the scrotum. Another significant hormone in sexual differentiation is the
anti-Müllerian hormone, which inhibits the development of the
Müllerian ducts. For males during puberty, testosterone, along with
gonadotropins released by the
pituitary gland, stimulates
spermatogenesis.
Health While a majority of the global health gender disparities is weighted against women, there are situations in which men tend to fare poorer. One such instance is
armed conflicts, where men are often the immediate victims. A study of conflicts in 13 countries from 1955 to 2002 found that 81% of all violent
war deaths were male. Apart from armed conflicts, areas with high incidence of violence, such as regions controlled by
drug cartels, also see men experiencing higher mortality rates. This stems from social beliefs that associate ideals of
masculinity with aggressive, confrontational behavior. Lastly, sudden and drastic changes in economic environments and the loss of
social safety nets, in particular social subsidies and food stamps, have also been linked to higher levels of
alcohol consumption and
psychological stress among men, leading to a spike in male mortality rates. This is because such situations often makes it harder for men to provide for their family, a task that has been long regarded as the "essence of masculinity." A retrospective analyses of people infected with the common cold found that doctors underrate the symptoms of men, and are more willing to attribute symptoms and illness to women than men. Women live longer than men in all countries, and across all age groups, for which reliable records exist. In the United States, men are less healthy than women across all social classes. Non-white men are especially unhealthy. Men are over-represented in dangerous occupations and represent a majority of on the job deaths. Further, medical doctors provide men with less service, less advice, and spend less time with men than they do with women per medical encounter. == Sexuality ==