There may be a few people lingering out there still claiming that women are the weaker sex, but science has proved them wrong yet again. As if women's superhuman power to endure pain were not enough, now a new study has found that we also have superior immune systems when compared with men. It all boils down to X-chromosomes:
"The reason why women are more robust appears to be microRNAs—short strands of RNA encoded on the chromosome. … The microRNAs have the effect of "silencing" immunity genes on a man's X-chromosome. … This leaves men at a disadvantage since they only have one X-chromosome. Women have two, so that even when immunity genes are silenced on one the other can compensate."
So basically, we have more microRNA to start with—which helps regulate our immune systems—and if something goes wrong on one of our chromosomes we have a back-up copy to rely on. Smart! It's sort of like how women will bring more clothes along on a trip than they really need, you know, just in case.
Anyway, all of this leaves us better prepared to ward off infections and resist cancers, and as a result we tend to live longer. The downside is that if we do get some type of illness, our inflammatory response can be much stronger, which leads us to have more autoimmune diseases and also to suffer more when sick with something like the flu. So, as usual, there are both good and bad things about being a lady. Of course, even though we might be in total agony, you won't hear us whining like little babies about it.