BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES - Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie

These basic elements he named endomorphy, mesomorphy and
ectomorphy, for they seemed to derive from the three layers of the human
embryo, the endoderm, the mesoderm and the ectoderm. So:
Endomorph is centered on the abdomen, and the whole digestive
system.
Mesomorph is focused on the muscles and the circulatory system.
Ectomorph is related to the brain and the nervous system.
We have all three elements in our bodily makeup, just as we all
have digestive, circulatory and nervous systems. No one is simply an
endomorph without having at the same time some mesomorph and
ectomorph, but we have these components in varying degrees. Sheldon
evaluated the degree a component was present on a scale ranging from one
to seven, with one as the minimum and seven as the maximum.
The Extreme Endomorph - Roundness
In this physique the body is round and soft, as if all the mass had
been concentrated in the abdominal area. The arms and legs of the extreme
endomorph are short and tapering, and the hands and feet comparatively
small, with the upper arms and thighs being hammed and more developed
than the lower arms and legs. The body has smooth contours without
projecting bones, and a high waist. There is some development of the
breast in the male and a fullness of the buttocks. The skin is soft and
smooth like that of an apple, and there is a tendency towards premature
baldness beginning at the top of the head and spreading in a polished
circle. The hair is fine and the whole head is spherical. The head is large
and the face broad and relaxed with the features blending into an over-all
impression of roundness. Santa Claus is our society's image of the extreme
endomorph.
The Extreme Mesomorph – Muscles
The chest area, which Sheldon likened to an engine room,
dominates over the abdominal area and tapers to a relatively narrow, low
waist. The bones and muscles of the head are prominent as well, with
clearly defined cheek bones and a square, heavy jaw. The face is long and
broad and the head tends towards a cubical shape. The muscles on either
side of the neck create a pyramid-like effect. Both the lower and upper
arms and legs are well-developed and the wrists and fingers are heavy and
massive. The skin is thick and tends towards coarseness. It takes and holds
a tan well and can develop a leathery appearance with heavy wrinkles.
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