Dorion Sagan

In the following viewpoint, Dorion Sagan argues that men and women have numerous biological differences that manifest in various gender traits. According to Sagan, research has shown that hormones are the source of these gender differences. These hormones influence virtually every organ in the body, determining how men and women will react to diseases and drugs. Sagan is the co-author of What Is Sex" and Origins of Sex: Four Billion Years of Genetic Recombination.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why are strokes sometimes less debilitating for women, according to Sagan?
2. In the author’s view, why does cardiovascular disease affect women later in life?
3. What have been the cultural effects of body size, in Sagan’s opinion"

Western thought about sex—from the story of Eve to Aristotle’s belief that girl...