Question

select the correct answer. a hormone imbalance may cause a man to develop certain female secondary sex characteristics. gynecomastia is a condition in men where their breasts swell and become abnormally large. a low level of which hormone would cause this condition?
a. follicle - stimulating hormone
b. progesterone
c. estrogen
d. testosterone

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the role of each hormone:

• Option A: Follicle - stimulating hormone (FSH) in males is involved in sperm production, not directly related to preventing female secondary sex characteristics in males.
• Option B: Progesterone is mainly a female hormone related to the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, and its low level in males is not the main cause of gynecomastia.
• Option C: Estrogen is a female - like hormone, but a low level of estrogen would not cause male breasts to swell. In fact, an excess of estrogen or a relative excess (due to low testosterone) can cause it.
• Option D: Testosterone is the main male sex hormone. It suppresses the development of female secondary sex characteristics in males. When testosterone levels are low, the balance between male and female - like hormones (like estrogen) is disrupted, and this can lead to the development of female secondary sex characteristics such as gynecomastia.

Answer:

D. testosterone