Volume IV Biological Sciences

The Neurobiology Behind Gender Identities

What Recent Developments in Neuroscience Show About Transgender Neuroanatomy and Endocrinology

Written by: Charli Lu | Edited by: Tommy Li | Photo by Chris Alo

Sex and gender are not the same: sex refers to biological characteristics like chromosomes, genitalia, and hormones, whereas gender refers to social and psychological constructs. Indeed, gender and biological sex are two separate concepts that can, on occasion, contradict one another.

Sperm’s Elusive Masterkey for Unlocking Eggs

Researchers Used Google's AlfaFold Technology to Identify a Molecular "Key" Shared By All Vertebrate Sperm - a Complex of Three Sperm Proteins - Essential for Fertilization

Written by: Arjun Dharan | Edited by: Maria Teresa Mata | Graphic Design by: Zareen Shaikh

You probably heard the phrase “opposites attract”—well, in sperm and egg meetings, this is literal! The sperm is small, has a tail, and swims, whereas the egg is big, immotile, and spherical. However, fertilization of the egg by the sperm is fundamental for all sexually reproducing animals. Despite its significance, scientists still do not fully understand the molecular mechanisms behind the sperm-egg cell binding.