When some irregularity or arrest of
development occurs in the process we have one or other of the numerous
malformations which may affect this region. If the arrest occurs at a very
early stage we may even find a condition of things which seems to
approximate to that which normally exists in the adult reptilia.[75] Owing
to the fact that both male and female organs develop from more primitive
structures which were sexually undifferentiated, a fundamental analogy in
the sexual organs of the sexes always remains; the developed organs of one
sex exist as rudiments in the other sex; the testicles correspond to the
ovaries; the female clitoris is the homologue of the male penis; the
scrotum of one sex is the labia majora in the other sex, and so
throughout, although it is not always possible at present to be quite
certain in regard to these homologics.
Since the object to be attained by the sexual organs in the human species
is identical with that which they subserve in their pre-human ancestors,
it is not surprising to find that these structures have a clear
resemblance to the corresponding structures in the apes, although on the
whole there would appear to be in man a higher degree of sexual
differentiation.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253