Identification of Sex
Dr Ajee Kuruvilla
Most certain evidences:


Presence of testis in males & ovaries in
females.
Shown by ejaculation & menstruation
respectively after puberty in males &
females.
Highly probable evidences:


Females: Presence of breast, vagina,
appropriate muscular development,
absence of moustache, beard, chest hair.
Males: Absence of breast tissue,
appropriate muscular development,
Presence of penis, moustache, beard,
chest hair.
Presumptive evidence






Face
Dress
Costume
Hair
Voice
inclination for opposite sex etc.
NUCLEAR SEXING



The sex can be determined by studying the
presence of:
Barr bodies
Davidson’s bodies and
‘Y’ chromosomes.
Barr bodies (Sex Chromatin)





It is plano convex nuclear condensation seen at the inner
surface of the nuclear membrane.
In females more than 40% of nuclei of buccal mucosa contain
chromatin body (chromatin positive),
in males only less than 10% of nuclei contain chromatin body
(chromatin negative).
The ideal tissues to study Barr bodies are buccal mucosa,
skin, smooth muscle and cartilage.
Medico Legal Importance: To differentiate between males &
females
Davidson body


In females, upto 6% of polymorphic
W.B.C’s (i.e. neutrophils and eosinophils)
show a thin stalked drumstick like
projection at the periphery of the nucleus.
This is absent in males.
Y- Chromosomes:


The ‘Y’ Chromosomes present in males are
fluroscent for the dye Quinacrine
dihydrochloride.
Blood stains, cartilage, bone marrow, teeth
pulp and hair root pulp can be used as
specimens.
INTERSEX STATES



These are the conditions wherein both male and
female characters coexist in varying degrees in
the same individual.
Gonadal agenesis – gonads (either ovaries or
testes) fail to develop. The nuclear sex is
chromatin negative.
Gonadal dysgenesis – External genital organs
are present, but the testes or ovaries fail to
develop at puberty.
Gonadal dysgenesis

Klinefelter’s syndrome

Turner’s syndrome
Klinefelter’s syndrome



Anatomical structure in male,
but the nuclear sexing is female (chromatin
positive).
The chromosomal pattern is 47XXY.
Usually undiagnosed till puberty.
Klinefelter’s syndrome


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Testes are small & firm in consistency, aspermia, No
semen, Hyalinised testis (histologically).
Gynaecomastia is usual finding.
Sexual Euinacioidism
(long arm& legs, scanty public hair growth. may not have
hair growth over face)
The person is usually tall with long slender arm’s & legs,
scanty or absent facial hair, axillary hair and pubic hair, thin
voice (Sexual Euinacioidism).
Turner’s syndrome



Anatomical structure is female
nuclear sexing is male (chromatin
negative).
The chrosomal pattern is 45 XO.
Turner’s syndrome

. The person is usually of short stature. There is
lack of development of secondary sexual
characteristics associated with primary
amenorrhoea, grossly undeveloped breast with
widely spaced nipples, scanty public & axillary
hair, infantile tubes and streak ovaries (no ovarian
follicle, contains fibrous tissue). Congenital
anomalies like Web neck, cubitus valgus,
coarctation of aorta, osteoporosis, renal
abnormalities, red green colour blindness.
True hermaphroditism

A rare condition, where in external
genitalia may be of both sexes, but
internally there is presence of both testes
& ovaries and ovotestes.
Pseudohermaphroditism



External characteristics of one sex, with
gonads of opposite sex
Male pseudohermaphroditism:
Nuclear sex XY, sex organs & sexual
characteristic of female form
Female pseudohermaphroditism:
Nuclear sex XX, sex organs & sexual
characteristic of male form
Medico Legal Importance of sex:

Marriage, divorce, Nullity of marriage,
inheritance, rape, maternity, paternity,
employment, contesting for election & other
civil rights.
ACCURACY OF SEXING….KROGMAN
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ENTIRE SKELETON… 100%
PELVIS & SKULL…….98%
PELVIS………………..95%
SKULL…………………90%
LONG BONES………..80%
PELVIS
MALE
 BONY FRAME MASSIVE
FEMALE
LESS MASSIVE
INLET DEEP & NARROW
SHALLOW & WIDE
ILIUM LESS EXPANDED
MORE EXPANDED
ANTERIOR SUPERIOR
ILIAC SPINES NOT
WIDELY SEPARATED
WIDELY SEPARATED
SUPRA
PUBIC ARCH
NARROW (<70)
>90
ISCHIAL
EVERTED
TEBEROSITY
INVERTED
OBTURATOR
FORAMINA
TRIANGULAR
OVOID
GREATER
NARROW
SCIATIC NOTCH
WIDE
MALE
ACETABULA
AND DEEPER
FEMALE
WIDER
NARROWER
AND SHALLOWER
SACRUM
MALE
LONG AND NARROW
FEMALE
WIDE AND SHORT
WELL
LESS
MARKED
PROMONTORY
CURVE
IS EQUAL OVER
ENTIRE LENGHT
MARKED
CURVED
OF 3RD
BELOW THE CENTRE
S. VERTEBRA
SKULL
MALE
BIGGER
,HEAVIER, AND
MORE RUGGED.
FEMALE
LIGHTER, SMALLER ,AND
LESS RUGGED.
FRONTO
NASAL
ANGULATION DISTINCT
NOT
WELL MARKED
GLABELLA,SUPRAORBITAL
LESS
PRONOUNCED
RIDGES MORE PRONOUNCED
ORBITAL
OPENING- BIG
AND RETANGULAR
SMALL
AND ROUNDED
MANDIBLE
MALE
LOWER JAW MORE
MASSIVE
FEMALE
LESS MASSIVE
CHIN
POINTED
SQUARE
SYMPHYSEAL
RAMUS
ANGLE
HEIGHT MORE
MORE BROAD
EVERTED
HEIGHT
RAMUS
NOT
OR ROUNDED
LESS
LESS BROAD
EVERTED
THANK U....!!!!