The Y chromosome doesn’t seem to do much except determine sex – but its loss in older men might be linked to heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Articles on Sex chromosomes
Displaying 1 - 20 of 21 articles
New data reveals differences in gene activity in the brains of men and women. They start in the womb and evolved millions of years ago
The monotreme sex gene may have been found after decades of searching – and it’s not what anyone expected.
Humans have roughly the same number of male and female babies, but there may be variation between families. A new genetic analysis of huge human populations explores the reasons why
Females have twice as many copies of some genes as males do – and exactly how different species manage this imbalance has puzzled scientists for decades.
Cell-free DNA prenatal screening, sometimes called ‘the gender test,’ cannot determine gender because gender is more than just genes and genitals.
A mysterious century-old law of genetics may explain the puzzling genetic legacy of our extinct Neanderthal cousins.
‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills claim to use science to justify a binary definition of sex based on certain traits. But the biology of sex and gender is not so simple.
DNA of the male-determining Y chromosome has been completely sequenced end-to-end, and it’s just as weird as we expected. Will we finally be able to understand how it works?
Some animals appear to use a ‘parliament’ of genes to determine sex. But a closer look reveals these are the exception rather than the rule.
The human Y chromosome could disappear over time, putting our species in jeopardy. But some rodents have managed just fine without it – and we now know how.
The negative health effects of Y chromosome loss could be one potential reason women tend to live longer than men.
A one-size-fits-all approach may not be best for treating cardiovascular disease. Taking sex chromosomes into account could make for more effective and equitable care.
When a male bluehead wrasse is removed from the group he dominates, the largest female changes sex, rapidly transforming ovaries into sperm-producing testes. Molecular research shows how.
Athlete Caster Semenya will need to take hormone-lowering agents, or have surgery, if she wishes to continue her career in her chosen events. But the decision to ban her is flawed on many grounds.
Birds have some of the most amazing sex differences of any animal. They can control the sex of offspring, and even produce rare half-male, half-females. And their sex genes and chromosomes are quite different from ours.
Like it or not, evidence now shows that men and women differ genetically far more profoundly that we previously recognised. An analysis from the 2017 winner of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science.
If something goes wrong in pregnancy, a boy baby is more likely to be born malnourished or stillborn than a girl. This may have an evolutionary basis.
How new species are created is at the core of the theory of evolution. Mammals may be a good example of how sex chromosome change drove major groups apart.
Unlike other chromosomes, the X chromosome is inactivated in nearly all cells in women – and genes on it are active in very few tissues.
Top contributors
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Jenny Graves is a Friend of The Conversation.Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University
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Professor and Matthew Flinders Fellow, Flinders University
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Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at The Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath
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Senior Lecturer, Adelaide University
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Lecturer, Deakin University
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Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University
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Assistant Professor, Boston University
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Post-doctoral Fellow, UNSW
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Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia
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Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida International University
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Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego
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Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor, University of Otago
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Chen Su Lan Centennial Professor in Medical Ethics, National University of Singapore; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, The University of Melbourne
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Associate Professor, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW
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Distinguished Professor, Centre for Conservation and Ecology Genetics, University of Canberra