Basic Things to know about the female brain and body
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1. According to some scientific research, the attractiveness of a woman’s child is heavily dependent on what she eats during pregnancy. (So don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever you want ladies!)
2. The part of the brain that shows arousal during sex also shows a similar arousal in some women while they’re thinking about food. Especially when they have food cravings.
3. You might know that women live longer than men, on average. But do you know why? Some studies suggest that women are generally more likely to lead a healthier lifestyle. But there have also been studies suggesting that women’s bodies are naturally better at fighting disease. And some even suggest this is especially true for women who have been child bearers.
4. Around 80% of women's wrinkles are caused by excessive sun exposure. Many people don't even think about the sun and the damage that it does on our skin.
5. She really is intuitive (though not magic)
Men can have the uncomfortable feeling that women are mind readers or psychics, Brizendine said. But women's intuition is likely more biological than mystical.
Over the course of evolution, women may have been selected for their ability to keep young preverbal humans alive, which involves deducing what an infant or child needs — warmth, food, discipline &mdash without it being directly communicated. This is one explanation for why women consistently score higher than men on tests that require reading nonverbal cues. Women not only better remember the physical appearances of others but also more correctly identify the unspoken messages conveyed in facial expressions, postures and tones of voice, studies show.
6. She goes through adolescence twice
No one wants to go through adolescence again. Its physical changes and hormonal fluctuations not only create mood swings and physical discomfort but nagging questions about self-identity as well.
Women, however, lucky girls, get to do just that. They go through a "second adolescence" called perimenopause in their 40s. It starts around age 43 and reaches its pinnacle by 47 or 48 years old. (Men's hormones also change as they age, but not nearly as abruptly.) In addition to erratic periods and night sweats, a woman's hormones during this transition are so crazed she can be as moody as a teenager.
The duration of perimenopause varies from two to nine years, with most women leaving it behind by age 52
7. She responds to pain and anxiety differently
Brain-imaging studies over the last 10 years have shown that male and female brains respond differently to pain and fear. And, women's brains may be the more sensitive of the two.
The female brain is not only more responsive to small amounts of stress but is less able to habituate to high levels of stress, said Debra Bangasser of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, describing her recent research looking at molecular changes in the brain. Bangasser's research was conducted in rats but is considered potentially applicable to humans.
Stress sensitivity may have some benefits; it shifts one's mental state from being narrowly focused to being more flexibly and openly aware. But if the anxiety is prolonged, it can be damaging. Such findings may help explain why women are more prone to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders, the researchers told LiveScience.
The research was published in the June 2010 issue of Molecular Psychiatry.
8. The G-spot exists - or does it?
The G-spot, an area in the vagina said to be extra-sensitive to erotic stimulation, is a place of great contention. Many women certainly report "G-spot orgasms," studies have shown, but anatomical knowledge of the area remains thin. Most recently, a Florida surgeon named Adam Ostrzenski claimed to have found a rope of erectile tissue in the cadaver of an 83-year-old woman that could be anatomical proof of the G-spot. But other researchers say the structure could be anything, from an internal branch of the clitoris to a misidentified gland. And there's no history of whether the woman experienced vaginal orgasms, so claims about the structure's function are tough to make. For now, the question of whether the G-spot is a myth, an internal extension of the clitoris or its own unique bit of tissue remains a mystery.
9. It's acidic down there
The pH of the vagina is quite acidic, averaging around 4.5 on the pH scale (7 is neutral). That's about as acidic as beer or tomatoes. Busy microbe communities in the vagina maintain this acidity. For example, lactobacillus, a group of lactic acid-producing bacteria, dominates the ecosystem in many women's vaginas. These beneficial bacteria and their acidic output likely keep nasty bugs from moving in and colonizing the place.
10. The hymen: overhyped
Long heralded as an indicator of virginity, the hymen is really just a small piece of tissue ringing the vaginal opening. It can break or tear upon first sexual intercourse (or other penetration), or it can stretch; in other words, the presence or absence of a hymen says nothing about whether a woman has had sex.
In rare cases (about 1 in 2,000 births), a girl is born with an imperforate hymen, meaning there is no hole in the tissue to allow menses or discharge to pass through. This condition requires a minor incision to correct the problem
1. According to some scientific research, the attractiveness of a woman’s child is heavily dependent on what she eats during pregnancy. (So don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever you want ladies!)
2. The part of the brain that shows arousal during sex also shows a similar arousal in some women while they’re thinking about food. Especially when they have food cravings.
3. You might know that women live longer than men, on average. But do you know why? Some studies suggest that women are generally more likely to lead a healthier lifestyle. But there have also been studies suggesting that women’s bodies are naturally better at fighting disease. And some even suggest this is especially true for women who have been child bearers.
4. Around 80% of women's wrinkles are caused by excessive sun exposure. Many people don't even think about the sun and the damage that it does on our skin.
5. She really is intuitive (though not magic)
Men can have the uncomfortable feeling that women are mind readers or psychics, Brizendine said. But women's intuition is likely more biological than mystical.
Over the course of evolution, women may have been selected for their ability to keep young preverbal humans alive, which involves deducing what an infant or child needs — warmth, food, discipline &mdash without it being directly communicated. This is one explanation for why women consistently score higher than men on tests that require reading nonverbal cues. Women not only better remember the physical appearances of others but also more correctly identify the unspoken messages conveyed in facial expressions, postures and tones of voice, studies show.
6. She goes through adolescence twice
No one wants to go through adolescence again. Its physical changes and hormonal fluctuations not only create mood swings and physical discomfort but nagging questions about self-identity as well.
Women, however, lucky girls, get to do just that. They go through a "second adolescence" called perimenopause in their 40s. It starts around age 43 and reaches its pinnacle by 47 or 48 years old. (Men's hormones also change as they age, but not nearly as abruptly.) In addition to erratic periods and night sweats, a woman's hormones during this transition are so crazed she can be as moody as a teenager.
The duration of perimenopause varies from two to nine years, with most women leaving it behind by age 52
7. She responds to pain and anxiety differently
Brain-imaging studies over the last 10 years have shown that male and female brains respond differently to pain and fear. And, women's brains may be the more sensitive of the two.
The female brain is not only more responsive to small amounts of stress but is less able to habituate to high levels of stress, said Debra Bangasser of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, describing her recent research looking at molecular changes in the brain. Bangasser's research was conducted in rats but is considered potentially applicable to humans.
Stress sensitivity may have some benefits; it shifts one's mental state from being narrowly focused to being more flexibly and openly aware. But if the anxiety is prolonged, it can be damaging. Such findings may help explain why women are more prone to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders, the researchers told LiveScience.
The research was published in the June 2010 issue of Molecular Psychiatry.
8. The G-spot exists - or does it?
The G-spot, an area in the vagina said to be extra-sensitive to erotic stimulation, is a place of great contention. Many women certainly report "G-spot orgasms," studies have shown, but anatomical knowledge of the area remains thin. Most recently, a Florida surgeon named Adam Ostrzenski claimed to have found a rope of erectile tissue in the cadaver of an 83-year-old woman that could be anatomical proof of the G-spot. But other researchers say the structure could be anything, from an internal branch of the clitoris to a misidentified gland. And there's no history of whether the woman experienced vaginal orgasms, so claims about the structure's function are tough to make. For now, the question of whether the G-spot is a myth, an internal extension of the clitoris or its own unique bit of tissue remains a mystery.
9. It's acidic down there
The pH of the vagina is quite acidic, averaging around 4.5 on the pH scale (7 is neutral). That's about as acidic as beer or tomatoes. Busy microbe communities in the vagina maintain this acidity. For example, lactobacillus, a group of lactic acid-producing bacteria, dominates the ecosystem in many women's vaginas. These beneficial bacteria and their acidic output likely keep nasty bugs from moving in and colonizing the place.
10. The hymen: overhyped
Long heralded as an indicator of virginity, the hymen is really just a small piece of tissue ringing the vaginal opening. It can break or tear upon first sexual intercourse (or other penetration), or it can stretch; in other words, the presence or absence of a hymen says nothing about whether a woman has had sex.
In rare cases (about 1 in 2,000 births), a girl is born with an imperforate hymen, meaning there is no hole in the tissue to allow menses or discharge to pass through. This condition requires a minor incision to correct the problem
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