sex differences

Stronger interferon production, greater T cell activation, and increased susceptibility to autoimmunity are just some of the ways that females seem to differ from males.

Males and females show differences in gene expression, cell activation, and antibody production in response to some viral infections, but whether these influence COVID-19 outcomes is still unclear.

The gene BCO2 enables male and female members of some bird species to display dramatically different color patterns.

In some finch species, the difference between colorful males and muted females comes down to one gene, BCO2, which encodes an enzyme that degrades carotenoids.

As male Drosophila grow old, selfish genetic elements that are abundant on the Y chromosome become more active, which appears to reduce longevity.

A study finds improvement in the proportion of scientific projects that include both sexes, but analyzing results by sex is not routine.

Emerging data as well as knowledge from the SARS and MERS coronavirus outbreaks yield some clues as to why SARS-CoV-2 affects some people worse than others.

The molecular processes that lead males to be more susceptible to the disease are only beginning to come to light.

Men’s pain tolerance decreases when exposed to a setting where they’ve previously had a painful experience.

Controversy surrounding a mathematical model to explain the so-called “greater variability of males” hypothesis fells two versions of a paper—but critics of the work wish it were still published.

Research into the biological basis of gender identity is in its infancy, but clues are beginning to emerge.

Researchers are beginning to tease apart the mechanisms underlying differences in how males and females respond to powerful painkillers.

Researchers uncover thousands of genes whose activity varies between men and women.

Examining both male and female model organisms is worth the extra effort and added costs, most experts maintain, but whether the results translate to human studies is less clear.
 

The public may still believe that male-specific traits, such as high testosterone levels, lead to many of the gender inequalities that exist in society, but science tells a different story.

Meet some of the people featured in the January 2017 issue of The Scientist.

Female mice lacking an immune receptor are better than males at fighting certain viral infections.

A selection of notable quotes from the Society for Neuroscience meeting

Researchers are finding that male and female mice may respond to traumatic brain injuries differently.

Researchers identify a new type of brain cell in male Caenorhabditis elegans.