What are the differences and similarities between male and female brains? Answered by a neuroscientist

“Neuroscientists have proven that the brains of men and women differ in neural structures, size and weight. This affects psychological differences in world perception, abilities, reactions and behavior.”

It all starts in the fetus

Different sex steroid hormones run through the brains of men and women. In women, it’s estrogen and progesterone; in men, it’s testosterone and some similar androgens.

In utero, the male fetus receives big hits of a surge of testosterone that shapes not only its body parts and proportions, but also its brain. Genetic defects that interfere with the effects of this hormone on cell development make his body more feminine.

Femininity (a set of psychological traits traditionally attributed to a woman) is our basic human complement.

Another key variable is sex chromosomes. Women have 2 X chromosomes paired together, while men have one X and one Y. The genes in a chromosome affect psychology and consciousness.

Size and weight

A man’s brain is on average 100g larger by weight than a woman’s, which does not affect intelligence and character. Men have better connections within the hemispheres, while women have better interhemispheric connections.

Women tend to solve complex thinking problems using both hemispheres. And men use only the hemisphere that is more suited to the task. Therefore, women take a broader view of things and make decisions by considering more aspects of a situation.

Men are better at focusing on one thing at a time. That is, they more easily perform spatial reasoning, speed, and accuracy tasks. For example, they are faster at painting a door, as this requires motor skills.

Women, on the other hand, have an easier time with social interaction and learning. They are faster at figuring out what color the door will be and finding the right paint at the store.

Structural differences

Women have more speech areas in their brains. Therefore, they more easily describe their experiences, emotions, and remember more sounds, smells, sensations and visual details. For the same reason, they have better speech recovery after a stroke.

Differences in hormones

Women have more serotonin, oxytocin and estrogen, so they are more sensitive, emotional and able to create stronger human relationships.

Men have more testosterone and are associated with aggression and decreased empathy. Men have more difficulty coping with stress, are more likely to suffer from depression and are more prone to suicide.

Emotional Intelligence

In men, the stress response is expressed in the amygdala of the right hemisphere. In women, the opposite is true – when stressed, the left amygdala is activated. Therefore, the former better remember the cause, and the latter better remember the details of the emotional experience. The brain of the fair sex better analyzes their own and other people’s inner world, memories and emotions.

Men get tired of analyzing emotions and the inner world and prefer to go straight to active actions. Therefore, their actions in relationships are less well thought out. They are worse at predicting the impact of their words and actions on others and seem more rude and tactless.

Sexual Behavior

Areas related to sex permeate the entire human brain. The control centers of sexual function of smell, partner search and sexual reactions of the limbic system penetrate almost all corners of the large hemispheres, transmitting sexual impulses to our consciousness.

Almost all kinds of brain activity are associated with intimate contact: from imagining one’s happy future with a potential partner to the emotions and physiological reactions involved in sexual intercourse. Therefore, any disturbances in the brain region can lead to sexual disorders – obscene behavior, manic syndrome and lack of sexual limits and norms.

The sexual signaling system in men is visual and tactile. A certain type of appearance, voice, smell, or eye or hair color turns on their desire.

The female brain, in addition to odors and visual stimuli, calculates all the qualities of the partner: physical data, ability to take care of offspring, intelligence. Since from the evolutionary point of view, the choice of a man should guarantee the survival of children.

Tendency to risk and anxiety

The male brain is less active in the area in front of the frontal lobes, called the prefrontal cortex. Its lower activity is associated with greater impulsivity, making them more prone to taking risks – both in business and in life in general.

The frontal lobes of the brain also contain an area that helps recognize mistakes. In women, its activity is particularly high. Therefore, they tend to dwell on negative thoughts and worry about nothing.

Men also worry, but they do it in a different way. When women worry, their associative thinking is turned on and one worrying thought is combined with others. This creates an anxiety impulse that can turn into stress or panic attacks. Men are less prone to this because they can compartmentalize their problems.

Empathy and intuition

The part of the brain responsible for our emotions and the formation of attachment, sedentary habits and empathy is more active in women than in men. This explains why they are more likely to care for children and the elderly. Empathy allows them to love and put the needs of others before their own.

The insular lobe of the brain, which is involved in the transmission of physical sensations and subconscious images, is more developed in women than in men. Therefore, the female brain is quicker to evaluate the thoughts of others and read information that may be difficult to logically explain.

Predisposition to disease

In men earlier than in women, the brain begins to shrink in size as part of the aging process and generally shrinks noticeably. The amount of nerve tissue shrinks particularly dramatically in the frontal and temporal lobes. They are associated with thinking and feeling. This leads to increased irritability and other personality changes.

In women, more tissue is lost in the hippocampus and parietal lobes as they age. These areas are responsible for memory and spatial-visual abilities. Therefore, by old age, women’s memory and spatial orientation deteriorate. Mental illness manifests itself before puberty in men and after puberty in women.