Sex

Gender is the attribute of being either male or female. Gender differs from sex in that while sex deals with the biological attributes of male and female, gender may be understood more as a cultural concept and a complex set of learned behaviors that is contingent not only on culture, but also on history. Gender roles and expectations are always in flux and vary from one society to another and one time to another. Thus, the qualities and behaviors expected of women by a particular society at a particular historical time is called femininity; masculinity is what is expected of men in a particular cultural and historical setting. Pochacco PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP OOOOOOOOOOO __ OOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP OOOOOOOOOOOOO d888b OOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP OOOOOOOOOOOOO 888888b OOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP OOOOOOOOOOOOO 8888888 OOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPPPPPP OOOOOOOOOOOO 8888888 OOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPPPP OOOOOOOOOOOO 8888888 OOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPPPP OOO _ OOOOOO 8888888 OOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPPPP O ,d88 OOOOO 8888888 OOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPP ____ d88' _,, OO 888888' OOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP (8888\ 88' d888) O \8888P OOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP ___~~8 ~8 88~___ d8888 OOOOOOOOOOOO PPP _______ PPPPPPPP ,8888888 ~ 888888_8888 OOOOOOOOOOOO PP,8888888888===__ _,d88P~~ ~~Y88888' OOOOOOOOOOOO P 88888888888888888888888' `88b OOOOOOOOOOOO P 8888888888888888888888P Y88 OOOOOOOOOOOO P `~88888888888800:01, 28 July 2007 (EDT) 88 88 OOOOOOOOOOOO PPPP 00:01, 28 July 2007 (EDT)Kittysayshello PPPPP 88 88 OOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP 88 88 OOOOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP 88 88 OOOOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP 88 88 OOOOOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP 88 ,aa. ,aa. 88 OOOOOOOOOO PPPPPPPPPPPP 88 d88b d88b 88 OOOOOOO

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    CCCCCCCCCCCC 88P'             (8888)             `Y88 HHHHHHHHHHH
 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC 88                ~^^~                88 HHHHHHHHHHH
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC \8b._                              _.d8/ HHHHHHHHHHH
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC ~8888=,.__                  __.,=8888~  _____  HHHH

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CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC 88::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::888 HHHHHHHH
 CCCCCCCCCCCCCC d88:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::88 HHHHHHHH
    CCCCCCCCCCC                                              HHHHHHHH
       CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC         HHHHHHHHHHHH          HHHHHHHHHHHH

An organism's sex category reflects its biological reproductive function rather than its sexuality or other behavior. The female sex is defined as the one which produces the larger gamete (the egg) and which typically bears the offspring. In contrast, the male sex has a smaller gamete (sperm) and rarely bears offspring. In some animals, sex may be assigned to specific structures rather than the entire organism. Earthworms, for example, are normally hermaphrodites.

Alternately, "gender" may be defined to be the norm of social conduct, based on sex. That is, "sex" defines what is biologically present, whereas "gender" defines what society expects of persons of different sexes. The distinction is important: the law tends to forbid discrimination on the basis of both (effeminate men cannot be fired for not acting according to their "gender"), but matters in terms of more abstracted social and legal arguments.