Male vs Female Skeleton
Skeletal system is mainly made up of connecting tissues including bones and the tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilages. The main purpose of the skeletal system is to provide support for the body. It also provides protection for internal organs and sites for muscle attachments and thus, helps in body movements. During the periods of human infancy and childhood, the skeletons of the male and female do not differ much. However, later with the development of the body, sexual dimorphism is increasingly manifested in the skeleton, thus creating differences between the two skeletons. The most prominent variations can be seen in the level of pelvis in females and males. This is due to the requirement of childbirth in the females. However, if we look carefully, there are many subtle differences between these skeletons.
Female Skeleton
Generally, female skeleton is made up of lighter bones with smooth surfaces. The skeleton is not massive, and passages for tendons are less accentuated. The special characteristic feature of the female skeleton is that it has a wider pelvis than that of males. Also, the female pelvis bones are more rounded, and the surrounded bones are designed to be more flexible to gestation and child delivery. This variation has occurred due to the requirements of childbirth in females. Females have more rounded thoracic cages than males.
Male Skeleton
Males normally have massive skeletons, which are made up of denser and heavy bones. The muscle attachment areas of bones are very much robust and more prominent than those of females. Male bones complete their development around the age of 21. Until then, the bones continue to grow and develop so that the males have larger and more pronounced corners.
What is the difference between Female and Male Skeleton?
• Bones in the female body complete their development sooner than those in the male body.
• In females, the bones complete their development around the age of 18 whereas, in males, the bones continue to grow until the age of around 21.
• Female skeleton contains smaller, lighter, and smoother bones. In contrast, male skeleton contains heavy, big, and rough bones.
• When considering skulls, supraorbital bone, mastoid process, zygomatic bone, occipital are less prominent in females than in males. Therefore, generally, males have larger and heavier skulls than females.
• Males have long thoraxes, and the sternum has longer ribs, which are thin and more curved unlike that of females. Female thorax is short and wide.
• Pelvis of the female is shallower, wider, smoother and lighter while that of the male is deep, narrow, and heavy.
• Ilia of males are more sloped while those of females are less sloped.
• Anterior superior iliac spines are more widely separated in females unlike in males.
• Female skeleton has more wide pubic arch whereas male skeleton has narrow one.
• Females have wider sacro-sciatic notches and well-curved sacrum whereas males have less wide sacro-sciatic notches and long, narrow & less curved sacrum.