2023-05-11 01:21:53
An unprecedented discovery has taken the scientific community by surprise and has caused concern, since it has been found that there is a loss of genetic material in the Y chromosome of men. This represents a serious threat to the continuation of our species.
Scientists from La Trobe University, Melbourne have made a shocking discovery, the Y chromosome, which determines sex in babies and other mammals is disappearing. Which presents a worrisome picture for the human species. Since, if this phenomenon continues, men could disappear and consequently the human species, unless we find a way to restore the sex chromosome.
But what are chromosomes and why are they so important?
Chromosomes are rod-shaped structures found within the nucleus of cells and contain the genetic material of an organism. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46 chromosomes.
Each pair of chromosomes consists of one inherited from the mother and one inherited from the father. Chromosomes are classified into two types: autosomes and sex chromosomes. Autosomes are the 22 pairs of chromosomes that do not determine sex, while sex chromosomes are the two chromosomes that determine biological sex.
The pair of sex chromosomes in men is XY, while in women it is XX. In the sex chromosomes, the X chromosome is larger than the Y chromosome and contains more genes. As a result, X-linked diseases are more common in men than in women, since men only have one X chromosome.
Each chromosome contains many genes that are encoded in DNA. Genes are units of genetic information that determine characteristics such as eye color, blood type, height, and predisposition to certain diseases. Genes are expressed as proteins that perform important functions in the body.
The “Y” chromosome is disappearing
In mammals, as well as in humans, females have a sexual pair “XX” and in males a single X and one “Y” chromosome. The “Y” chromosome is generally smaller and does not contain as many genes (an estimated 55 genes) and the remaining DNA that composes it is known as non-coding DNA.
However, the “Y” chromosome contains a very important gene, the gene called SRY (sexual region in the Y) which activates another gene called SOX9, which is the key to determining the male sex in all vertebrates. In addition, the SRY gene regulates the development of the testicle, in which hormones such as testosterone and its derivatives are produced, it directs the male embryonic development.
In platypuses, an amazing phenomenon has been observed, since the by sexual “XY” it is more like an autosomal pair. In this species, it is estimated that the Y chromosome has lost between 55 and 900 active genes, over 166 million years (humans and platypuses have evolved separately). This means that there is a loss of 5 genes for every million years that passes. If this rate continues, the remaining 55 genes on the Y chromosome will disappear in 11 million years. There is also evidence that genes within the Y chromosome are disappearing, which could gradually lead to the complete disappearance of the Y chromosome.
What alternatives are there in nature?
Will this be the end of man? It is probably not the end, our bodies adapt and evolve according to the environment in which we live. In some rodents, such as the eastern European mole voles and Japanese spiny rats, loss of the Y chromosome and the SRY gene has already occurred, but the species continues to exist (although how the mechanisms of such loss occur is not yet fully understood). genetic recombination). This means that there is a possibility that our species can also survive.
Importance of studying chromosomes
Human chromosomes have been extensively studied and many genetic disorders associated with changes in the chromosomes have been identified. Some examples include the Down’s syndromewhich results from an extra copy of chromosome 21, and Turner syndrome, which results from a missing X chromosome in females.
The full article was published in the PNAS magazine.
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