Sexual Dimorphism of SNB Neurons in Mice

Abstract

Sexual dimorphism is the difference in traits between males and females of the same species. It's usually observed externally but it is also related to the central nervous system. This virtual lab studies sexual dimorphism of SNB neurons, a group of motor neurons in the spinal cord which contribute to male reproductive behavior.  ImageJ software was used to count the number of SNB neurons and measure their surface area from spinal cord images of male and female mice. The data showed that male mice had approximately 3.5 times more SNB neurons than female mice. Additionally, SNB neurons in male mice had a surface area approximately 1.5 times larger than SNB neurons in female mice. Statistical analysis confirmed these  differences to be significant, with p-values of 0.001841 (number) and 0.00855 (surface area) both below the 0.05 threshold. These results confirm the hypothesis that SNB neurons are sexually dimorphic. This study shows how sexual dimorphism influences physical and behavioral traits as well as neural structure and function.