The plural of sex, referring to the two main categories (male and female) into which organisms are divided based on reproductive function. Can refer to biological classification or social categories.
From Latin sexus, meaning 'division' or 'section', possibly from secare (to cut or divide). The word entered English in the 14th century, originally referring to the division between male and female, later expanding to include reproductive activity.
While many species have two sexes, nature is more complex - some fish change sex during their lifetime, some plants are hermaphroditic, and even in humans, biological sex exists on a spectrum. The binary concept of 'the sexes' reflects social organization more than biological reality.
The binary 'sexes' framework has historically conflated biological sex with social gender roles, used to justify women's exclusion from work, politics, and education.
Use 'sexes' for biological classification only; distinguish from gender identity and expression. Acknowledge that sex-based categories themselves encode historical bias in how they're defined and applied.
["genders","identities","populations"]
Feminist biology has challenged male-centered frameworks of 'sex'; women scientists have shown how reproductive biology was misunderstood and how 'sex differences' claims often reflect bias in research design.
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