Anatomy: Difference between revisions
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The gonads develop during both puberty and presentation, depending on orientation and sex. Female alphas' testicles don't develop during puberty. Some male omegas may get ovary development during puberty, but it's uncertain if this is actually due to early presentation. | The gonads develop during both puberty and presentation, depending on orientation and sex. Female alphas' testicles don't develop during puberty. Some male omegas may get ovary development during puberty, but it's uncertain if this is actually due to early presentation. | ||
During puberty, gonads develop along similar lines to our world - singular eggs each month in ovaries (for female betas and omegas), steady sperm build up in testicles (for male alphas and betas). However, gonads may stay | During puberty, gonads develop along similar lines to our world - singular eggs each month in ovaries (for female betas and omegas), steady sperm build up in testicles (for male alphas and betas). However, gonads may stay undifferentiated (able to become an ovary or a gonad) for much of childhood. In exceptional cases, differentiation may not happen until presentation in female alphas and male omegas. | ||
During presentation, development changes. Ovaries (in all omegas) build up stores of eggs to release during quarterly heats. Sperm production in (all alpha) testicles starts to vary - slower in some periods, and then extremely heavy in others, allowing alphas to better match omega heat requirements. The make-up of semen during these heavy periods is different, as well. It contains hormones designed to jumpstart cellular growth. Eggs fertilized outside of heat will usually stay in the fallopian tubes/uterine horn until sex during heat allows them to soak up enough hormones to jumpstart development. (This means that a litter with multiple different sires is possible, though fertilized eggs may have decreased receptivity to seminal hormones from a different sire. Research is still ambiguous.) | During presentation, development changes. Ovaries (in all omegas) build up stores of eggs to release during quarterly heats. Sperm production in (all alpha) testicles starts to vary - slower in some periods, and then extremely heavy in others, allowing alphas to better match omega heat requirements. The make-up of semen during these heavy periods is different, as well. It contains hormones designed to jumpstart cellular growth. Eggs fertilized outside of heat will usually stay in the fallopian tubes/uterine horn until sex during heat allows them to soak up enough hormones to jumpstart development. (This means that a litter with multiple different sires is possible, though fertilized eggs may have decreased receptivity to seminal hormones from a different sire. Research is still ambiguous.) | ||