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From: gsa@proper.UUCP (George Acton)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.social,net.philosophy,net.bio
Subject: Re: Questions on hermaphroditism
Message-ID: <1357@proper.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Jun-84 20:23:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: proper.1357
Posted: Wed Jun 13 20:23:03 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 03:36:22 EDT
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Most texts of general pathology, endocrinology and gynecology have
a chapter discussing this subject, and usually a little chart 
showing the 8-10 different subtypes.  Gender can relate to
chromosome count, sex of gonads, arrangement of internal
genital organs, arrangement of external genital organs and
endocrinologic factors like type of sex hormones circulatong
and the body's responses to them.  Not to mention psychological
and social identification.  There are several ways for these
sexual characteristics to get mixed up.  Having functional
gonads for both sexes, is impossible, to the best of my
recollection.  It is possible to have one ovary and one testis,
and if this is based on a chromosomal rearrangement after 
conception, they would contain germ cells, but my impression
is that a level of circulating sex hormones that would support
reproductive ability for one sex would interfere with function
of the opposite-sex gonad to the extent that it would be
infertile.

    --George Acton, MD