The adult human brain weighs on average about 3 lb (1.5 kg) (Parent and Carpenter, 1995). It measures approximately 1130 cm3 in females and 1260 cm3 in males, but there is significant individual variation. Male brains are approximately 10% larger than female brains and 11-12% heavier than a female. Male heads are also approximately 2% larger than females (Ho et al, 1980). This is due to the larger physical characteristics of men.
Speech Area
The two main areas involved in speech, Broca's and Wernicke's, are significantly larger in women. MRI studies have shown that women have 23% more volume in Broca's area and 13% in Wernicke's area than men (Schlaepfer et al., 1995). There is also a difference between men and women in which part of the left hemisphere is responsible for speech and hand movements. In another study, the volume of Wernicke's area was found to be 18% larger in women than in men, and the cortical volume of Broca's area in women was 20% larger than in men. In women, the frontal (front) area is more important than the back area, so problems with speech are more likely to occur if the front part of the left hemisphere is damaged. In men, areas contribute more equally. While women's brains process verbal language in both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, men tend to process it only on the left side (Shaywitz et al., 1995).
Expressing Emotion
Male-oriented minds have difficulty expressing emotions. This is because men use only the right hemisphere. Male brains separate language on the left and emotions on the right, while women's emotions reside in both hemispheres. This situation explains why it is difficult for men to express their emotions. (Geary, 1998, p.153).
Thinking
Men appear to think with their gray matter full of active neurons. Women think with white matter, which contains more than connections between neurons. In this way, a woman's brain is slightly more complex, and these connections may allow a woman's brain to work faster than a man's. In women, parts of the frontal lobe responsible for problem solving and decision making and regulating emotions The limbic cortex, which is responsible for brainwashing, is larger. In men, the parietal cortex, which is involved in space perception, and the amygdala, which regulates sexual and social behavior, are larger (Hoag, 2008). Men and women differ in accessing different parts of the brain for the same task. In one study, men and women were asked to say different words. While men used only a small area on the left side of the brain to complete the task, the majority of women used areas on both sides of the brain (Kolata, 1995). However, both men and women pronounced these words equally well, indicating that there is more than one way for the brain to achieve the same result.
Functional Differences
Men and women differ not only in their physical characteristics and reproductive functions, but also in many other characteristics, including their learning processes, language development, and the way they solve intellectual problems. Gender differences have been observed in cognitive functions and brain structure. These differences can be attributed to various genetic, hormonal and environmental factors, but do not reflect an overall advantage for either sex. It is well known that men and women exhibit different capacities in specific cognitive functions that are unrelated to differences in general intelligence level. Witleson (1995) concluded that people use their 'preferred cognitive strategies' based on the faculties they possess. Women and men think in different ways, but they are also thought to have individual ways of thinking regardless of gender. Men and women appear to use different parts of the brain to encode memories, feel emotions, recognize faces, solve certain problems, and make decisions. It is well known that emotional development and cognitive abilities, especially visual-spatial skills, differ between men and women. It has been shown that the two hemispheres function differently in the male and female brain in some cognitive tasks.
As a result, male and female brains show anatomical, functional and biochemical differences at every stage of life. These differences are due to a combination of genetic and hormonal events. It begins early during development and continues throughout an individual's lifespan and participates in many functions in both health and disease. Mental and emotional health are extremely important for healthy aging. Gender differences must be taken into account when examining brain structure and function. It could help doctors and scientists discover new diagnostic tools to explore brain differences. Understanding normal brain development and differences between genders is important for interpreting clinical imaging studies.
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