by Ramón Piñón Jr. (Author)
Our Human Odyssey: Becoming Female and Male focuses on
critical aspects in the development and biology of our reproductive
system. A wealth of information not readily available to the
general reader is complemented with a rich assortment of
historical perspectives and commentaries. It begins with the
amazingly complex, seemingly miraculous processed that lead to
the formation of eggs and sperm, follows the fetal development
of the genital tissues, the post-pubertal reproductive functions
of females and males, the pubertal transition, and finally our
reproductive twilight. The next section focuses on fertilization
and implantation, birth and lactation, and exciting new studies
relating the origins of chronic adult diseases to our pre-birth
environment in the womb. The third section covers pregnancy
loss and birth defects, while the final section reviews birth
control methods, the causes of infertility and the new growth
industry - assisted reproduction. In addition, three appendices
supplement the main text and provide more detailed information
about sex chromosomes, mutations, hormonal integrations of the
reproductive system, and disorders of sexual development.