Definition: Varying degrees of characters of both sexes are present in one individual including physical form, reproductive organs and sexual behaviour due to some defect in embryonic development.
It can be divided into 4 groups:-
- Gonadal Agenesis: Testes/Ovary has never developed. Nuclear Sex is negative.
- Gonadal Dysgenesis: Testes/Ovary fails to develop at puberty. External structures are present.
- Klinefelter’s Syndrome-
- Anatomical Structure is male
- Nuclear Sexing is Female (XXY) – Chromatin positive
- Small Testes, Azoospermia
- Turner’s Syndrome-
- Anatomical Structure is female
- Nuclear Sexing is Male (XO) – Chromatin Negative
- Ovarian dysgenesis, no primordial follicles
- Klinefelter’s Syndrome-
- True Hermaphroditism (Bisexuality)- One ovary and one testis or two ovotestis are present along with the external genitalia of both the sexes.
- Pseudohermaphroditism – Gonadal Tissue of only one sex is seen, but external appearance is that of the opposite sex.
- Male Pseudohermaphroditism –
- Nuclear sex is XY
- Sex organs and characteristics deviate to female form
- Testicular feminisation
- Female Pseudohermaphroditism-
- Nuclear Sex is XX
- Sex organs and characters deviate towards male
- Adrenal hyperplasia
- Male Pseudohermaphroditism –