Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Science & Nature / Science / Biology / Anatomy / Difference Between Male and Female Sacrum

Difference Between Male and Female Sacrum

January 22, 2019 Posted by Dr.Samanthi

The key difference between male and female sacrum is that the male sacrum is taller and narrower while female sacrum is shorter and wider.

The sacrum is one of the vertebrae of our vertebral column, which is at the bottom of the backbone. Accordingly, it locates between the L5 vertebra and coccyx vertebra in the vertebral column. Also, it is attached with right and left iliac bones of the hip bone and contributes to the formation of the pelvis. Structurally, the sacrum is a triangular-shape larger bone comprising of five fused segments/small bones. The sacrum is important for several major functions including weight-bearing, walking, standing and sitting, etc. Structurally, sacrum differs between male and females (sexual dimorphism). Therefore, this article intends to discuss the difference between male and female sacrum.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Male Sacrum
3. What is Female Sacrum
4. Similarities Between Male and Female Sacrum
5. Side by Side Comparison – Male vs Female Sacrum in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Male Sacrum?

The male sacrum is narrower and taller. It is a part of the pelvis and affects the shapes of the pelvis inlet and outlet. Therefore, due to the structure of the sacrum and its curvature, pelvic inlet of the males is heart-shaped while the pelvic outlet is narrower.

Difference Between Male and Female Sacrum

Figure 01: Male Sacrum

Apart from that, pubic arch forms an angle closer to 600 in males. In male pelvises, the sacrum is more curved and tends to impinge upon the space of the pubic outlet.

What is Female Sacrum?

The female sacrum is shorter and wider. Furthermore, the curvature of the female sacrum is very low. Due to these structural features of the female sacrum and its involvement in the formation of the pelvis, the shapes of the pelvic inlet and outlet of females differ from that of the males. Accordingly, female pelvic inlet is oval shaped while their pelvic outlet is wider than males.

Key Difference Between Male and Female Sacrum

Figure 01: Female Sacrum

Furthermore, the upper half of the sacrum is nearly straight. Overall sacrum in female pelvises tends to be less curved than in males. Not only that, but the sacrum is also directed more obliquely backward in order to increase the size of the pelvic cavity in females. In addition, pubic arch forms an angle closer to 900. Structurally, the lower half of the sacrum exhibits a greater angle with the upper.

What are the Similarities Between Male and Female Sacrum?

  • Both male and female sacrum are important for weight bearing, walking, standing and sitting.
  • Also, both are located in between L5 vertebra and coccyx.
  • Furthermore, both are attached to the hip bone and reside in the bottom of the backbone.

What is the Difference Between Male and Female Sacrum?

Sacrum shows sexual dimorphism. Hence, male and female sacrum differ from each other structurally. Accordingly, the male sacrum is taller and narrower. On the other hand, the female sacrum is shorter and wider. Therefore, this is the key difference between male and female sacrum. Furthermore, the curvature of the sacrum is higher in males than the females. Thus, it is also a significant difference between male and female sacrum.

Moreover, male pelvic inlet is heart-shaped while female pelvic inlet is oval shaped. When considering the pelvic outlet, it is narrower in males while it is wider in females. Hence, it is another difference between male and female sacrum.

The below infographic presents more details on the difference between male and female sacrum.

Difference Between Male and Female Sacrum in Tabular Form

Summary – Male vs Female Sacrum

The sacrum is one of the vertebrae in our vertebral column that attached to the right and left iliac bones of the hip bone. Moreover, it is shaped differently in males and females. Female sacrum is shorter and wider. On the other hand, the male sacrum is taller and narrower. Not only that, female sacrum shows a less curvature while male sacrum shows a greater curvature. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between male and female sacrum.

Reference:

1. “Sacrum Anatomy, Area & Definition | Body Maps.” Healthline, Healthline Media. Available here  
2. “Sacrum.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2019. Available here  

Image Courtesy:

1.”10819140914″ by University of Liverpool Faculty of Health & Life Sciences (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr
2.”809 Male Female Pelvic Girdle”By OpenStax College – Anatomy & Physiology, Connexions Web site. Jun 19, 2013., (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia  

Related posts:

Difference Between Actin and MyosinDifference Between Actin and Myosin Key Difference Between First and Second PremolarDifference Between First and Second Premolar Difference Between Cervical Thoracic and Lumbar VertebraeDifference Between Cervical Thoracic and Lumbar Vertebrae Difference Between Spinal Cord and Vertebral ColumnDifference Between Spinal Cord and Vertebral Column Difference Between Male and Female Urethra AnatomyDifference Between Male and Female Urethra Anatomy

Filed Under: Anatomy

About the Author: Dr.Samanthi

Dr.Samanthi Udayangani holds a B.Sc. Degree in Plant Science, M.Sc. in Molecular and Applied Microbiology, and PhD in Applied Microbiology. Her research interests include Bio-fertilizers, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Molecular Microbiology, Soil Fungi, and Fungal Ecology.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between Compound Eyes and Simple Eyes

Difference Between Guys and Girls Converse

What is the Difference Between Lamellar Ichthyosis and Harlequin Ichthyosis

What is the Difference Between Lamellar Ichthyosis and Harlequin Ichthyosis

Difference Between Fast and Speed

Difference Between Fast and Speed

Difference Between Samsung Galaxy 8.9 LTE and Motorola Xoom LTE

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Calcitriol and Cholecalciferol
  • What is the Difference Between Protein C and Protein S Deficiency
  • What is the Difference Between Raynaud’s Syndrome and Raynaud’s Phenomenon
  • What is the Difference Between Magnesium Citrate Malate and Glycinate
  • What is the Difference Between Appendicitis and Ovarian Cyst
  • What is the Difference Between PAD and Venous Insufficiency
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.