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Author: tata Date: Aug 12, 2008 14:43
The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
male as it does a female.
So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way
of saying "I don't know". :-)
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Author: tata Date: Aug 12, 2008 14:49
On Aug 12, 5:43 pm, ta nc.rr.com> wrote:> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
> a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
> male as it does a female.
>
> So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
> becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
>
> I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way
> of saying "I don't know". :-)
Or I guess a simpler way to ask the question is:
Why were you born a male (or female) and not a female (or male)?
If you say: "because the SRY gene was activated", then the obvious
question is "why?".
We are basically androgynous until about 6 weeks old
-- why do we
become one or the other?
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Author: PubliusPublius Date: Aug 12, 2008 17:21
> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
> a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
> male as it does a female.
>
> So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
> becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
>
> I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way
> of saying "I don't know". :-)
You don't have it quite right, ta.
All somatic cells in males carry both an X and Y chromosome. The cells
which divide to form sperm cells deliver 1/2 their genetic information to
each daughter cell. So sperm cells are haploid cells, 1/2 carry the X, the
other half the Y. Whether a baby is a male or a female depends upon which
type of sperm cell reached the egg first.
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Author: ImmortalistImmortalist Date: Aug 12, 2008 23:12
On Aug 12, 2:43 pm, ta nc.rr.com> wrote:> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
> a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
> male as it does a female.
>
> So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
> becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
>
> I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way
> of saying "I don't know". :-)
I was just reading about that today but don't know how to think about
this material yet.
Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: From Dating, Shopping, and
Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire-- Two Evolutionary
Psychologists Explain Why We Do What We Do - by Alan S. Miller,
Satoshi Kanazawa
http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-People-Have-More-Daughters/dp/0399533656
Q. Boy or Girl? What Influences the Sex of Your Child?
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Author: ArtArt Date: Aug 13, 2008 04:23
On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:12:31 -0700 (PDT), Immortalist
yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Aug 12, 2:43 pm, ta nc.rr.com> wrote:>> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
>> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
>>...
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Author: tata Date: Aug 13, 2008 08:04
On Aug 12, 8:21 pm, Publius nospam.comcast.net> wrote:>> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
>> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
>> a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
>> male as it does a female.
>
>> So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
>> becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
>
>> I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way
>> of saying "I don't know". :-)
>
> You don't have it quite right, ta.
I wouldn't be surprised.
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Author: tata Date: Aug 13, 2008 08:09
On Aug 13, 2:12 am, Immortalist yahoo.com> wrote:> On Aug 12, 2:43 pm, ta nc.rr.com> wrote:
>>> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
>> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
>> a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
>> male as it does a female.
>
>> So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
>> becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
>
>> I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way
>> of saying "I don't know". :-)
>
> I was just reading about that today but don't know how to think about
> this material yet.
>
> Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: From Dating, Shopping, and
> Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire-- Two Evolutionary
> Psychologists Explain Why We Do What We Do - by Alan S. Miller, ...
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Author: tata Date: Aug 13, 2008 08:13
On Aug 13, 7:23 am, Art zilch.com> wrote:> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:12:31 -0700 (PDT), Immortalist
>
>
>
> yahoo.com> wrote:>>On Aug 12, 2:43 pm, ta nc.rr.com> wrote:>>> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
>>> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
>>> a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
>>> male as it does a female.
>
>>> So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
>>> becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
>
>>> I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way
>>> of saying "I don't know". :-)
>
>>I was just reading about that today but don't know how to think about
>>this material yet. ...
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Author: toolytooly Date: Aug 13, 2008 10:46
> On Aug 12, 8:21 pm, Publius nospam.comcast.net> wrote:>>> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
>>> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
>>> a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
>>> male as it does a female.
>>
>>> So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
>>> becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
>>
>>> I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way
>>> of saying "I don't know". :-)
>>
>> You don't have it quite right, ta.
>
> I wouldn't be surprised. ...
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Author: tata Date: Aug 13, 2008 11:04
On Aug 13, 1:46 pm, "tooly" bellsouth.net> wrote:>> On Aug 12, 8:21 pm, Publius nospam.comcast.net> wrote:>
>>>> The sex of a human is determined by the male sperm (only the male has
>>>> the region on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene I think, that can produce
>>>> a male). But presumably every embryo has an equal chance of becoming a
>>>> male as it does a female.
>
>>>> So what determines whether that SRY gene is activated and the embryo
>>>> becomes a male, or whether it becomes a female?
>
>>>> I imagine many will simply say it is random . . . which is another way ...
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