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While physical build and sexual characteristics make this obvious - men are, on average, 15 per cent bigger - there are plenty of more subtle differences between the sexes, too.
But what other physical characteristics mark men and women as different?
WHO CAN SEE COLOURS BETTER?
Women have a greater capacity to appreciate subtle tones and shades because their eyes have more ‘colour vision’ genes than men, explains Andrew Lotery, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Southampton, Daily Mail reports.
The genes are located in our X chromosomes - the genetic code which decides our gender. Men have one X chromosome, women have two, which is why women have more colour vision genes.
About eight in 100 men and one in 100 women are affected by colour blindness.
. . . AND WHOSE BONES ARE STRONGER?
The male skeleton tends to be bigger; but although a woman’s pelvis tends to be smaller, the openings between the pelvic bones tend to be bigger to allow babies to pass through.
The cortex or outer layer of bone is generally thicker in men than women, so men are less susceptible to fractures if they fall, says Paul Allen, consultant orthopaedic and knee surgeon at
This is aggravated for women because their bones become thinner after the menopause as they lose oestrogen’s protective effect.
MEN NEED BIGGER NOSES
Men’s noses tend to be up to 10 per cent larger because they need more oxygen than women, according to researchers at the
LARGER LIVERS COPE WITH BOOZE
Female livers contain lower levels of an enzyme called dehydrogenase, needed to break down alcohol in the body, explains David Lloyd, consultant liver surgeon at
WOMEN’S HEARTS CAUSE TROUBLE
The female heart is about two thirds the size of a man’s and beats slightly less frequently — on average around 72 beats per minute instead of 80.
. . . AND SO DOES A LONGER BOWEL
Though women tend to be a smaller build than men, their colons are the same size — so they are disproportionately longer for their bodies.
This may be to help the body absorb more fluid during pregnancy. However, having a disproportionately longer colon can make a woman more prone to bloating.
This is because the colon’s sole function is to absorb water, so more is retained in their stomachs.
Women also feel full more quickly than men, even when they eat the same amount of food.
WHOSE LUNGS WORK HARDER?
Women’s lung capacity is about 30 per cent less than men’s, explains Dr Rohit Lal, a lung cancer specialist at Guy’s Hospital in
WHY GIRLS CAN DO THE SPLITS
Women have looser ligaments than men, possibly to help the pelvis expand more easily during childbirth.
But this can be a disadvantage, as it means women are at greater risk of joint injuries, explains Professor Alan Silman, consultant rheumatologist and medical director of Arthritis Research
. . . AND ARE ALWAYS IN THE LOO
Our bladders are in proportion to our bodies. However what sets men and women apart is the size of the urethra — a tube that drains urine from the bladder.
‘In a woman this will be around 3cm long, whereas in a man it can be as long as 20cm,’ explains Christopher Eden, a consultant urologist at the
That’s why women are more prone to urinary infections as there is a shorter journey up the urethra for bacteria.
BEER BELLIES Vs PODGY HIPS
Women tend to put on weight more easily — men have a higher proportion of lean muscle mass, which means they burn calories more efficiently.
Men tend to put on weight around their middles — known as belly or visceral fat — while women tend to accumulate it around thighs and hips.
Belly fat has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol.
‘However fat around the hips and thighs has no such impact — it may even be protective against heart disease,’ adds Dr Ashton.
One advantage of women carrying more body fat than men is they are better insulated from the cold.
‘So if a man and woman fall into the
HOW WOMEN’S VOICES CHANGE
Men have deeper voices because their vocal cords are longer and thicker, explains John Rubin, a consultant at the Royal National Throat, Nose and
This difference evens out after the menopause when lack of oestrogen can cause swelling in the vocal cords, which makes the female voice sound much lower.
WOMEN HAVE THINNER SKIN
Women are more vulnerable to wrinkles because they have thinner skin, says Dr Sajjad Rajpar, a consultant dermatologist, from the
... BUT ARE LESS DISEASE-PRONE
Women may have a more active immune system. In an experiment involving healthy male and female mice, a study by
It’s believed the female immune system can be too active, which is why women are more vulnerable to auto-immune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues.
Research also found the female immune system ages more slowly, which could help explain why women live longer than men.
