The incredible shrinking male chromosome--Genetically, it is no secret that men are basically genetically modified women - the female being the fall-back developmental pathway for any fetus. The evolution of the two sexes could indeed be regarded as a long-running GM experiment.
Its legacy has been to endow men and women with different, and often conflicting, sets of genetic interests, and to ignite a powerful evolutionary struggle, which has accentuated the differences between the two sexes. In several respects, the experiment that gave us men is not going too well just now. Though it is a weary lament to lay most acts of violence and aggression, from the strictly local to the truly global, squarely at the feet of men, the association is strong, consistent and undeniable. Women very rarely commit violent crimes, become tyrants or start wars.
The experiment has created two irreconciliable genetic combatants. On the female side is mitochondrial DNA, which can only be passed down the maternal line. On the male side is the Y-chromosome, which is always passed from father to son. But while mitochondrial DNA is a model of slimmed-down efficiency, the Y-chromosome is a shambles, battered by mutation and going downhill fast, before it eventually disappears altogether. On this chromosome resides the single genetic switch (SRY) which, when flicked to "on", prevents human embryos from developing into baby girls and turns them into boys instead. Also spread out on this dying chromosome are the handful of other genes that men need to make fully operational sperm.
But why is this ultimate symbol of male machismo in such a mess? Originally the Y-chromosome was a perfectly respectable chromosome with a collection of genes doing all sorts of useful things - much like the X-chromosome today. But its fate was sealed when it took on the mantle of creating males. This probably happened in the early ancestors of mammals, perhaps 100m years ago when a mutation on the ancestor of the Y-chromosome suddenly, and quite by chance, enabled it to switch on the embryonic pathway to male development. Once this happened, the chromosome was doomed. It slowly lost contact with other chromosomes, thus missing out on the interaction that normally allows the shuffling of genes and so unable to properly heal the wounds inflicted by mutations. One by one, its thousands of useful genes were lost until now only 27 remain - and they are under constant threat.
Based on the Genome Project, Collins and an article from Guardian.

[Brad]

This from the same article:

Seven percent of men are infertile or sub-fertile and in roughly a quarter of cases the problem is traceable to new Y chromosome mutations

And guess what happens to men who have defective Y chromosomes? They can't pass them on because they're infertile or sub-fertile. It's a self regulating mechanism.

Evolution is a wonderful thing...

your concluding that the mutations are not the product of an ongoing degeneration of the chromosomes. Geneticists position is that there were thousands of genes that were once part of the chromosome and they are now down to 27. Yes mutations wont get passed on but the overall degeneration doesn't depend on "passing on."

Not very long in my opinion.

[NotFinishedYet]

Originally Posted by antonio

your concluding that the mutations are not the product of an ongoing degeneration of the chromosomes. Geneticists position is that there were thousands of genes that were once part of the chromosome and they are now down to 27. Yes mutations wont get passed on but the overall degeneration doesn't depend on "passing on."

So are you concerned, Antonio, that the male race is doomed to extinction? Certainly the break down of the chromosomes can produce a larger number of developmentally disabled males and nonviable fetuses which changes the ultimate survival rate of males. Perhaps 27 is all that is needed for our current environ and mutation will increase/decrease them accordingly to assure the survival of the male gender. Then there's the issue of the female biological response to a diminished male population. We've already documented the supposed tendency of females to adapt to increase pregnancy in response to gay men, perhaps a similar result will occur in areas where there's a scarcity of men. Or in some species, gender is truly changed to perpetuate the species (ie. birds).

Hi, NFY--how have you been?
No I am not concerned because it has to be within God's plan. Maybe it's part of the Galatian verse that the ultimate in unity will come about whether humans do it or God, finally has to do it for us--no longer any differences between us, no longer Greek or Hebrew, free or slave, male of female-Jesus taught us right but most of us still don't get it-- UNITY...our unity with Him and therefore with His Father and therefore, with each other.
how is your blog coming is it a lot of work? Do you get much traffic?
love and blessing
antonio

[NotFinishedYet]

Originally Posted by antonio

Hi, NFY--how have you been?
No I am not concerned because it has to be within God's plan. Maybe it's part of the Galatian verse that the ultimate in unity will come about whether humans do it or God, finally has to do it for us--no longer any differences between us, no longer Greek or Hebrew, free or slave, male of female-Jesus taught us right but most of us still don't get it-- UNITY...our unity with Him and therefore with His Father and therefore, with each other.
how is your blog coming is it a lot of work? Do you get much traffic?
love and blessing
antonio

Good to chat with you again, Antonio. I am well and pray you are also. Yes, God's plan is unfolding as it should. Sometimes with our wills joining His to bring forth the works He desires, sometimes despite us as His will is what will be done. I long for the days when those differences are wiped away and all of us truly see each other as equals and love each other purely. My heart breaks at the divisions I see among us. We are wonderfully and fearfully made; no matter the little genetic distinctions that exist in each of us. God alone is our judge and I cling to James 4:11-12. Our genetic makeup and all the mutations that are built into each of us God will change instantly into something better, something different. None of the fleshly things will matter anymore. If only we could see and live by that today among ourselves. Sigh.

The blog is good, though slow lately. My mind has been too flighty: going from thing to thing so haven't gotten full to overflowing. And you? How's the writing? Have you been doing much?

Go in peace today, brother: enjoy the day before us! Peggy