How many xy chromosome

And these antimale molecules may be pro-female, though that's harder to prove. It sounds as if you are describing a shift from the prevailing view that female development is a default molecular pathway to active pro-male and antimale pathways. Are there also pro-female and antifemale pathways? Modern sex determination started at the end of the s——when the French physiologist Alfred Jost said it's the testis that is determining sex.

Having a testis determines maleness, not having a testis determines femaleness. The ovary is not sex-determining. It will not influence the development of the external genitalia. Now in when the karyotype of Klinefelter [a male who is XXY] and Turner [a female who has one X] syndromes was discovered, it became clear that in humans it was the presence or the absence of the Y chromosome that's sex determining.

Because all Klinefelters that have a Y are male, whereas Turners, who have no Y, are females. So it's not a dosage or the number of X's, it's really the presence or absence of the Y. So if you combine those two paradigms, you end up having a molecular basis that's likely to be a factor, a gene, that's a testis-determining factor, and that's the sex-determining gene.

So the field based on that is really oriented towards finding testis -determining factors. What we discovered, though, was not just pro-testis determining factors. There are a number of factors that are there, like WNT4, like DAX1, whose function is to counterbalance the male pathway. I don't know why it's necessary, but if they're doing this then probably they're here to do some fine-tuning at the molecular level.

But these antimale genes may be responsible for the development of the ovary. And WNT4 is likely to be such a factor. It's an ovarian marker now, we know. Is the conceptual framework for sex determination changing, then, because of these discoveries?

I think the frame has slightly changed in the sense that even though it's still considered that the ovary is the default pathway, it's not seen as the passive pathway. It's still "default" in the sense that if you don't have the Y chromosome, if you don't have SRY, the ovary will develop.

That really has changed, and WNT4 is one of the reasons for it. What do you feel are your group's most important contributions to the sex biology field so far? The two things that we contributed was, one, to find the genes that are antimale, and reframing the view of the female pathway from passive to active.

And the second thing is in the brain. We're the first ones to show that there were genes involved in brain sexual differentiation, making the brain either male or female, that were active completely independently from hormones.

Those were probably our two main contributions. Do you think this difference in gene expression in the brain explains anything about gender identity? About identity, it says nothing [yet].

It might say something. So those genes are differentially expressed between males and females early during development. They're certainly good candidates to look at to be influencing gender identity, but they're just good candidates. At a recent international meeting to discuss management of people with genital and gonadal abnormalities, you successfully pushed for a change in nomenclature. Instead of using terms such as "hermaphrodite" or even "intersex," you recommended that the field use specific diagnoses under the term, "disorders of sex development.

For the past 15 to 16 years now, there really has been an explosion in the genetic knowledge of sex determination. And the question being, how can we translate this genetic knowledge into clinical practice? So we said maybe we should have a fresh approach to this.

The initial agenda was to have a nomenclature that was robust but flexible enough to incorporate new genetic knowledge. Then we realized there were other problems that were in fact not really genetic, but that genetics could actually answer them. Ultimately individuals who are intersex will each have their diagnosis with a genetic name. It's not going to be some big, all-encompassing category, like "male hermaphrodites.

It's much more medical. The majority of health care professionals were very happy with it. There were some, there was a conservative side that said, "Why change something that was working?

So it required a little bit of education, saying, you know, it's important not only because it's more precise and it's more scientific, but also the patients would benefit from it by removing the word "hermaphrodite" and so forth. About the change to disorders of sex development, there was no issue at all in the group.

The one piece in the nomenclature that remains highly controversial is the replacement of "intersex" with "disorders of sex development. One is that intersex was big. Sometimes we wouldn't know who to include and who not to include. For instance, if there are chromosomal abnormalities, if you have a patient who is missing one X chromosome—Turner syndrome—or having an extra X—Klinefelter's syndrome—both those, now we do include them in "disorders of sexual development.

They do belong in this large category of people with "medical problems," quote-unquote, of the reproductive system. So intersex was vague, DSD is not vague. There was another issue with the old nomenclature, which was the actual word, "hermaphrodite. It also had some sexual connotation that would attract a flurry of people who have all sorts of fetishes, and so the intersex community really wanted to get rid of the term.

People like Cheryl would say intersex issues are not issues of gender identity, they are just issues of quality of life—whether early genital surgery was performed appropriately or not, and that's really what has impaired our quality of life. She and others at ISNA do support the change because of an interesting side effect—because it becomes a very medicalized definition, the medical science should apply. It should apply strongly. That means it's not as if now we're talking about something that's not a disorder, that is just a normal variant, a condition.

If it's just a condition that's a normal condition, then there is no need for medical attention. So basically my point of view is really, let's separate the political from the medical, the science. The greatest problem is that their ovaries are not developed, and if the ovaries are not removed they have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.

These are mostly important for the people with the abnormalities but are also important in a wider context for understanding many disease processes at the genetic, molecular, clinical and epidemiological levels.

Since these people have a higher prevalence of the resulting diseases, detecting the patterns is also easier. Ultimately, we hope that this knowledge will benefit these women and other people with diabetes or heart disease.

The Danish researchers mainly focus on helping and treating the women and men with sex chromosome abnormalities. These people typically face physical challenges related to their sexuality, their inability to give birth or the diseases resulting from lack of sex hormones. They also face mental challenges. This can be a relief but can also be a loss.

For most people it comes as a shock that upends their whole identity. E-mail: info novonordiskfonden. News Apply for grants. Follow the foundation on. ScienceDaily, 16 July Fascinating article and the comments have been equally enlightening. Sexual dimorphism is a reality that helped the human species to survive a dangerous world.

Most human beings now live in less brutal times, with a long life span and minimal existential threat. The full possibility of gender identity, once unexpressed in the struggle to survive, emerges. We understand more about all the variations on the human theme that are possible, even if such a variation occurs in less than one percent of the population. So the question for society is, now that life is about more than survival and we have become more aware of variations on the human theme, how do we define human rights for everyone.

Along with this, how do we construct conditions for a good outcome of future civilization and avoid stagnation or self-destruction. How to allow all people to be the best, happiest, most self-fulfilled versions of themselves, while making sure society also functions well and is productive and advancing. Statistically, it does certainly appear nature is trying to make people into two sexes. But as human society advances, it also has to acknowledge the complexity and fuzziness that surrounds this rule.

In the wisdom of acknowledging the complexity of life, we can acknowledge gender dysphoria or gender fluidity as possible outcomes of human development, even if statistically somewhat rare outcomes. This acceptance shows scientific understanding and, moreover, compassion borne of a more inclusive understanding of our human family. However in this fuzzy, but generally more inclusive arena, the challenge is where to deploy new objective definitions of gender status so laws and protections can be written for the greatest good.

I think this would be exploitable and potentially destabilizing to the ideal goal of a high-functioning society. Thus, for example, allowing XY trans-females competing with XX females is a rightly debatable decision. It speaks directly to the hard realities confronted in that gray area. Of course, once we are in that brave new world, new debates about what it means to be human will make the gender argument seem quaint.

For now the effort continues to define a world with the most good for the most people, given the knowledge of the time. Hopefully, with a more widespread and nuanced understanding of the complexity inherent in human evolution and development, it will lead toward more inclusiveness of variation on the human theme. At 5, realizing the clothes, types of toys, underwear I would have to endure through this new journey I found myself in, was going to be lifelong, no changing it.

I was going to be a girl, always, and that sucked. When my mom cut my hair dad said it was always messy, so cut it I was ecstatic! I rode a minibike before a bicycle at 6. Easter was torture being forced to wear a scratchy dress. I was always jealous of the boys getting the better toys, having short hair, and having muscles without really trying. Maybe, but this one journey around the earth was the best, once I made the best of it. I would never want to oppress myself by taking extra hormones and shots, cutting off body parts, or adding them.

Who knows how this will affect your body, bones, nerves, endocrine system, immune system, neurons, brain later? Hollywood stars with lots of money, no contentment may want to spend their way into happiness thinking they can jusr become the sex they felt like. But to me, this is a terrible role model for our young society. Do we really know how many transgender people really become happy after radically altering their body, and hormones?

Men in dresses and makeup, with a penis, could be normal. Women in baseball caps, or 3-piece suit is normal and ok. Then we can truly teach our youth about acceptance and loving themselves. I am an XX chromosome female, a woman. When I was a little girl, I liked blue colored everything, I hated dresses, and I preferred playing with boys. My mother cut my hair very short because it was so thick and curly, usually full of knots. I was often mistaken for a boy. As an adolescent, I hated itchy pantyhose, pumps with heels, and wearing cosmetics.

I liked science and math, and studied engineering. I liked boys, very much! I still like science, math, engineering, and being in the company of men. My mother is beautiful and feminine. I am not. My mother and grandmother needed me to help with cooking, laundry, and growing food. That would have been a terrible mistake!

My adolescent self would have probably enjoyed the drama and excitement of being different, of needing treatment for an exotic medical condition. I was grumpy, depressed, anxious, full of self-doubt from age 12 through My adult self is grateful for being normal and healthy, the way I was born. Just as you said,. Various topics will be kept in this comment. Gender is not a social construct gender is binary. In nature reproduction is the rule you humans reproduce sexually meaning it takes one man and one woman to reproduce XX and XY.

There are two genders and only two genders XX female XY male respectively. There are multiple other birth defects that are brought up in discussions like this claiming and supporting there are three or more genders or sexes.

In school we are taught we have 10 fingers and 10 toes. Trying to ram intersex or a birth defect into a tradition is absurd. Existing proof is trans gendered people they could either believe they are a man or a woman. Trans gendered people come to speak of it are mentally ill. No one is born in the wrong body.

They have the highest suicide rates and self harm. Actually the entire LGBT community has the highest suicide and self harm rates ever. These people need mental help. Science proves homosexuality is unnatural. If you place homosexuals on an island and 50 straight men and 50 straight women on an island which generation will last longer.

Humans are emotional creatures. They can easily be manipulated and deceived. People are influenced by others. If you are a single mother and have your son grow up only around women he will more likely to be a homosexual than ever. It is honestly sad to see the world like this. That is why the best way to raise a child is by loving parents one man and one woman that is how healthy women and men are formed. Childhood is everything it determines the type of man or woman you will be in the future.

A messed up childhood can cause detrimental damages to society family or thyself. People are trying to confuse children now with LGBT when those people need severe mental help.

A society starts to fall when the gender roles are being mixed or breaking down. Since the start of humanity man has taken care of his wife and children. The woman takes care of the house and children and has always had that femininity in them they are born loving and emotional. This is why more women are single and unhappy now. This generation of women will be the worst.

We will never know why women have a problem with a man providing for them and their children. Men have invented the essentials in life. The light bulb the wheel and have made weapons that can kill the earth. If women were a different species they would be dead. The only reason why women are valued is reproduction and sex. Men look at women as sex objects. This is why men love a skinny woman who is in shape and fit. Women are born valued men have to work themselves up to be a man.

They want someone who can provide for them and a family. Now the narrative is shifting into the opposite and they complain why. Also, having 2 fathers or 2 mothers or just 2 non-binary parent does not effect how they love and care for the child. Having a woman and a man have a child does not always mean that, that child wil grow up knowing what a healthy relationship will be.

Newflash my parent were straight and gave me very wrong ideas on what a healthy relationship should be. A sexist and stupid answer. If you place men on an island obviously no children will result. Two women or two men in a relationship is shown as shameful, and having to hide this constantly from judgmental people like yourself is exactly why they have the most mental health issues.

An extremely sexist answer as well. Women do not look at men as success objects. I can say that confidently as a woman, along with all my female friends. You mean attractive men? Of course! The reason men invented all these things wheel, lightbulb, whatever is because women were locked up in the home to take care of children.

Being a housewife was the only profession available to them, and the world was extremely misogynistic. Female inventions had credit stolen by men. Really, women were treated horribly back then. Now women invent brilliant things just the same as men. Yes, being gay or lesbian or transgender may fit into the category of mental illness.

But then, so should not liking certain foods, being colorblind, and being left-handed. There is nothing wrong with any of these things. Being homosexual is not something that can be changed. That is not true, you are simply born that way.

The same way you know you are straight, you will know you are gay, bisexual, lesbian, etc. Gender is a combination of social and biological factors which are very complex. Chromosomes as you suggested are not the sole deciding factor of how sex is expressed. Neither is society.

Trying to place people in a strict binary gender is just not realistic. It has been widely accepted by the scientific community sex expression is bimodal and expresses itself on a spectrum.

Sex and gender are more like dials not switches. Biologically there are five components that lead to sexual expression by birth: chromosomal, genetic, gonadal, internal genital, and external genitals. Then there is pubertal hormones and psychological factors which come into play later on in development. Each component can be expressed individually or together normally or atypically in vast and unique combinations.

To say an intersex individual are rare or calling it a disorder does not negate the existence of this atypical expression of the two typical expressions. It is regularly referenced as a 3rd expression in scientific communities. Using an example of atypical fingers and toes makes zero sense to me. We could notice a missing digit and politely ask if they could tell us about it. However, even asking is a little rude.

Gender is really no different in that respect. As a society we should have empathy and accept people who are more comfortable using non-binary terms if they do not fit in with the typical male and female gender expressions. We should also be respectful to people who wish to identify separate from their gender assigned at birth. Transgender individuals are not mentally ill. But a transgender person may experience an emotional condition known as gender dysphoria. It is most commonly experienced prior to a person transitioning.

And it can cause dysfunction in their day-to-day activities like work or social events. If anything the struggle of mental illness in the transgender community has more to do with societies poor treatment and lack of empathy in my opinion. Science does not prove homosexuality is unnatural. Homosexuality is common in over species. Homophobia is unnatural and only found in the human species. I would say lopsided sexism such as yours has contributed more to an unhealthy society than neutral or swapped gender roles.

Your constant assumptions and projections are exhausting and out of date but despite this I must keep going because this ignorant, abusive and hateful rhetoric cannot be left unchallenged. More women are not single and unhappy now. You go on to make a ton more disgusting assumptions about woman being useless, sexual objects and some more dated dribble about aesthetics of women. I sincerely believe society is and will continue to move past your outdated, sexist, harmful, narrow views and become more accepting, empathetic and equitable for all.

Your view of humanity is revealing and alarming at best. I cannot express enough of my disgust regarding your rant. I really hope you do not have children. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Currently you have JavaScript disabled.

In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Skip to content by Katherine J. SRY not SRY We were all taught the classic recipe in grade school: an X chromosome from mom and an X chromosome from dad will yield a genetic female, while an X chromosome from mom and a Y chromosome from dad will yield a genetic male. The Birds and the Bees and Some Other Things Too Unsurprisingly, with the immense variation observed in our natural world, more than one sex determination system exists.

Figure 1: Five of many sex determination systems. XO system In insects, females have two sex chromosomes, but males have only one sex chromosome while retaining two copies of all non-sex chromosomes. Haplodiploidy In honeybees, females again have two sex chromosomes while males have one, but in this case, males have only one copy of every chromosome. Thermal regulation In some reptiles, the temperature of the surrounding environment determines the sex of the offspring. Figure 2: Sex determination in honeybees.

Honeybee haplodiploidy Fertilized eggs inherit a set of chromosomes from their mother and a set of chromosomes from their father, and are always female. De Generation Y We know very little about how sexual reproduction and sex determination systems evolved — the theories are, of course, difficult to test.