Question: do boys have bigger brains?

Helen O'Connor answered on 13 Jun 2011:

To some people this is a controversial subject, but there is research that confirms some differences between male and female brains. What’s important is that these differences have *nothing* to do with intelligence, although they can sometimes explain why, generally, men and women prefer different things.

It’s a big topic, so here are some key differences (there are lots more than this though)

Adult male brains weigh about 11% more than females (so their skulls are a bit bigger too). The main reason for this is that men have more muscle mass (thanks to testosterone) and are generally larger so need more neurons in the brain to control their body. Male brains also have about 4% more brain cells than women.

Women have a larger corpus callosum – the part of the brain that carries signals between the left and the right hemispheres. So women can transfer data between the right and left hemisphere faster than men. But there are techniques that both men and women can use to improve their ability to use both the left and right brain. Women also have a larger limbic system than men which is the part of the brain that controls emotions. It means that women are often more “in touch” with their feelings and can talk about feelings more than men can. Being able to talk about our feelings helps us to deal with them, so this is an advantage. But it also means that women can be more at risk of getting depressed than men.

There are so many other gender differences between male and female brains, and how we use them. And, although *on average* men and women prefer or are better at different things this can also be affected by how we are brought up, or what subjects we are encouraged to study etc.