What is a hermaphrodite?

A hermaphrodite (or intersexed person) is someone who has some or all of the primary sex characteristics of both genders (for example, a penis and a vulva).

There are three types of hermaphrodites: true, male pseudo and female pseudo.

A true hermaphrodite is someone who has both ovary and testicular tissue.

The genitalia can vary from completely male or female, to a combination of both or even ambiguous-looking.

Female pseudo means that a person has XX chromosomes with normal female internal organs, but with masculanised genitalia.

Male pseudo means that the person is born with XY chromosomes. Such a person has testes that are usually hidden in the abdominal cavity. The external genitalia are usually female.

Most hermaphrodites have an extra sex chromosome, which means they have 47 chromosomes instead of 46, including a XXY pair instead of either XX (female), or XY (male).

This mean these individuals have two X-chromosomes (like a normal female) and a XY-pair (like a normal male). With a Y-chromosome present, the individual would have testes and will produce testosterone.

The condition can be treated with surgery, but can have side effects ranging from incontinence and loss of sexual sensation. - Sources: wikipedia.com, health24 and biology-online.com