Identification of Sex

Dr Ajee Kuruvilla

Most certain evidences:

Presence of testis in males & ovaries in

females.
Shown by ejaculation & menstruation
respectively after puberty in males &
females.

Highly probable evidences:

Females: Presence of breast, vagina,

appropriate muscular development,
absence of moustache, beard, chest hair.
Males: Absence of breast tissue,
appropriate muscular development,
Presence of penis, moustache, beard,
chest hair.

Presumptive evidence

Face
Dress
Costume
Hair
Voice
inclination for opposite sex etc.

NUCLEAR SEXING

The sex can be determined by studying the

presence of:
Barr bodies
Davidsons bodies and
Y chromosomes.

Barr bodies (Sex Chromatin)

It is plano convex nuclear condensation seen at the inner

surface of the nuclear membrane.
In females more than 40% of nuclei of buccal mucosa contain
chromatin body (chromatin positive),
in males only less than 10% of nuclei contain chromatin body
(chromatin negative).
The ideal tissues to study Barr bodies are buccal mucosa,
skin, smooth muscle and cartilage.
Medico Legal Importance: To differentiate between males &
females

Davidson body

In females, upto 6% of polymorphic W.B.Cs

(i.e. neutrophils and eosinophils) show a
thin stalked drumstick like projection at the
periphery of the nucleus.
This is absent in males.

Y- Chromosomes:

The Y Chromosomes present in males are

fluroscent for the dye Quinacrine
dihydrochloride.
Blood stains, cartilage, bone marrow, teeth
pulp and hair root pulp can be used as
specimens.

INTERSEX STATES

These are the conditions wherein both male and

female characters coexist in varying degrees in
the same individual.
Gonadal agenesis gonads (either ovaries or
testes) fail to develop. The nuclear sex is
chromatin negative.
Gonadal dysgenesis External genital organs
are present, but the testes or ovaries fail to
develop at puberty.

Gonadal dysgenesis

Klinefelters syndrome

Turners syndrome

Klinefelters syndrome

Anatomical structure in male,

but the nuclear sexing is female (chromatin
positive).
The chromosomal pattern is 47XXY.
Usually undiagnosed till puberty.

Klinefelters syndrome

Testes are small & firm in consistency, aspermia, No

semen, Hyalinised testis (histologically).
Gynaecomastia is usual finding.
Sexual Euinacioidism
(long arm& legs, scanty public hair growth. may not have
hair growth over face)
The person is usually tall with long slender arms & legs,
scanty or absent facial hair, axillary hair and pubic hair, thin
voice (Sexual Euinacioidism).

Turners syndrome

Anatomical structure is female

nuclear sexing is male (chromatin
negative).
The chrosomal pattern is 45 XO.

Turners syndrome

. The person is usually of short stature. There is

lack of development of secondary sexual
characteristics associated with primary
amenorrhoea, grossly undeveloped breast with
widely spaced nipples, scanty public & axillary
hair, infantile tubes and streak ovaries (no ovarian
follicle, contains fibrous tissue). Congenital
anomalies like Web neck, cubitus valgus,
coarctation of aorta, osteoporosis, renal
abnormalities, red green colour blindness.

True hermaphroditism

A rare condition, where in external

genitalia may be of both sexes, but
internally there is presence of both testes
& ovaries and ovotestes.

Pseudohermaphroditism

External characteristics of one sex, with

gonads of opposite sex
Male pseudohermaphroditism:
Nuclear sex XY, sex organs & sexual
characteristic of female form
Female pseudohermaphroditism:
Nuclear sex XX, sex organs & sexual
characteristic of male form

Medico Legal Importance of sex:

Marriage, divorce, Nullity of marriage,

inheritance, rape, maternity, paternity,
employment, contesting for election & other
civil rights.

ACCURACY OF SEXING.KROGMAN

ENTIRE SKELETON 100%

PELVIS & SKULL.98%
PELVIS..95%
SKULL90%
LONG BONES..80%

PELVIS
MALE
BONY FRAME MASSIVE

FEMALE
LESS MASSIVE

INLET DEEP & NARROW

SHALLOW & WIDE

ILIUM LESS EXPANDED

MORE EXPANDED

ANTERIOR SUPERIOR
ILIAC SPINES NOT
WIDELY SEPARATED

WIDELY SEPARATED

SUPRA

PUBIC ARCH

>90

NARROW (<70)

ISCHIAL

TEBEROSITY

EVERTED

INVERTED

OBTURATOR

FORAMINA

TRIANGULAR

OVOID

GREATER

NARROW

SCIATIC NOTCH
WIDE

MALE
ACETABULA

FEMALE
WIDER

NARROWER

AND SHALLOWER

AND DEEPER

MALE
LONG

SACRUM

AND NARROW

WELL

MARKED
PROMONTORY

FEMALE

WIDE

LESS

AND SHORT

MARKED

CURVED
CURVE

IS EQUAL OVER
ENTIRE LENGHT

OF 3RD

BELOW THE CENTRE

S. VERTEBRA

SKULL
MALE

FEMALE

BIGGER

,HEAVIER, AND
MORE RUGGED.

LIGHTER,

FRONTO

NASAL
ANGULATION DISTINCT

NOT

WELL MARKED

GLABELLA,SUPRAORBITAL

LESS

PRONOUNCED

RIDGES MORE PRONOUNCED

ORBITAL

OPENING- BIG
AND RETANGULAR

SMALLER ,AND
LESS RUGGED.

SMALL

AND ROUNDED

MANDIBLE

MALE

FEMALE

LOWER

JAW MORE
MASSIVE

LESS

CHIN

POINTED

SQUARE

SYMPHYSEAL

RAMUS

ANGLE

HEIGHT MORE

MORE BROAD
EVERTED

MASSIVE

HEIGHT

RAMUS

NOT

OR ROUNDED

LESS
LESS BROAD

EVERTED

THANK U....!!!!