FIGURE 8-19 Sex Differences in Brain Development Mean brain volume by age in years for males (green) and females (orange). Arrows above the curves indicate that females show more rapid growth than males, reaching maximum overall volume (A) and gray matter volume (B) sooner. Decreasing gray matter corresponds to cell and synaptic loss. Increasing white matter volume (C) largely corresponds to myelin development.

Information from R. K. Lenroot, N. Gogtay, D. K. Greenstein, E. M. Wells, G. L. Wallace, L. S. Clasen, et al. (2007). Sexual dimorphism of brain development trajectories during childhood and adolescence. NeuroImage, 36, 1065–1073.