New study says : Children's brains may show how sex and gender are different part 1

Sex and gender are often mixed up in everyday conversations, with most American adults thinking that a person's gender is determined by their sex at birth. However, a new study of nearly 5,000 children aged nine and ten found that sex and gender are linked to different parts of the brain.

"Moving forward, we really need to consider both sex and gender separately if we want to better understand the brain," said Dr. Elvisha Dhamala, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, California. Dr. Dhamala is a co-author of the study, which was published on Friday in the journal Science Advances.

The researchers in the new study defined sex as what is assigned to a child at birth, based on their genitalia. In the US, clinicians typically assign a child as either female or male.

The researchers defined gender as an individual's attitudes, feelings, and behaviors, along with socially constructed roles. They emphasized that gender is not binary, meaning that not everyone identifies strictly as female or male.

Sex and gender are fundamental aspects of human experience. They play a crucial role in how people perceive others and understand themselves. Both can impact behavior and health, according to the study authors.