Man

A group of men

An old man smiling inBihar,India

Amanis anadultmalehuman.He is the opposite of awoman.People use the word "man" (oneman,two or moremen) to talk aboutgender.Manhood is the period in a male's life after he changes from aboy.A boy is a malechild;a female child is called agirl.After boys reachmaturity,they can be called a man.

Like most other male mammals, a man inherits anX chromosomefrom his mother and aY chromosomefrom his father. Themen's rights movementis a group that tries to fight for men's rights and opposesmisandry.

There are also those whoidentifyas a man even though they are not one (they are not a member of themale sex). They are referred to as a man in certainsocieties

Biology

Human male reproductive anatomy and surroundings

There are some sexual differences between a man and a woman. Men havesex organswhich we call "external" (not inside the body). But many parts of the male reproductive system are internal too. The study of male reproduction and sex organs is "andrology".

Image of a man and a woman with body parts labeled

Men normally have the same illnesses as women, but there are some sexual illnesses which men have only, or more often.

There are more differences between men and women, not only sexual differences.

• Some people say men, as a group, are moreaggressivethan women; they want to fight more. But most research has found that men and women are equally aggressive.
• In modern western society, few men wear make-up orclothingof the sort women traditionally wear.

Some examples ofsecondary sexual characteristicsin male humans:

• morepubic hair
• morefacial hair
• more body hair
• larger hands and feet than women
• broadershouldersand chest
• narrowerhips
• largerskullandbonestructure
• largerbrain
• greatermusclemass
• a more visibleAdam's appleand deepervoice
• a longershinbone

Men are usually taller than women. In 1996, the average height of men around the world was 171 cm.

Biologyis not the only thing which makes people feel they are men, or that other people are men. Some people were born in a female body but feel that they are men. We call thesetransgenderortranssexualmen.Some men can have a hormone or chromosomal difference. Some men have otherintersexconditions. Some of those intersex people who people said were female (girls) when they were born want to change this later in their lives.

Related pages

• Violence against men
• International Men's Day