ABSTRACT
Sexual reproduction is the phenomenon by which almost all complex life reproduces itself, and at its essence is the merging of precisely two differentially specialised sex cells (gametes) that generates the first cell of a new individual. Across the natural world, the smaller ‘male’ gametes (e.g. sperm, pollen) are typically numerous and mobile, while larger ‘female’ gametes (e.g. ova, ovules) are usually produced in fewer numbers and are immobile. Like many other species, humans’ sexual reproduction has evolved such that the two specialised sex roles—one for each gamete type—are divided between two classes of individuals—males and females—each with dedicated reproductive anatomy and secondary physical characteristics to facilitate reproduction
In this chapter, the authors critique emerging misinformation about sex in humans. First, they reject ‘sex as a social construct’ by summarising the biological evolution of sex and the diversity of sex phenotypes in the natural world, in reference to foundational male and female roles. They then focus on sex in humans – how males and females develop, how they find mates and how they reproduce. They also address the conflation of human categorisation with an arbitrariness of categorisation. Second, the authors evaluate the claim that ‘sex as a spectrum’, highlighting fundamental misinterpretations of sex and its associated characteristics, the unscientific focus on those people with atypical sex development and the dangers of viewing sex as a statistical outcome.
