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Flashcards in Sex Determination Deck (16)
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1
Q

Why is sexual reproduction described as having a 2 fold cost to asexual

A

Only half the population produces offsprings- asexual reproduce twice as fast

2
Q

Why is sexual reproduction desired more for survival than asexual

A

It produces recombinant genotypes and causes diversity in a population

3
Q

What is the evidence using yeast that sexual reproduction is better survival

A

When a sexual and asexual strain were put in harsh conditions. The sexual strain had faster growth

4
Q

In protenor insects, what was found to determine if the offspring was male or female

A

There were 2 gamete variations from the male, either autosomes with no X chromosome or auto some with 1 X. If the gamete with the X inherited then it would be female (1 X from mother 1 X from father)

5
Q

Why are males called hetereogametic sex and female called homogametic sex

A

Males- produces 2 variants of gametes

Females are always uniform (XX gamete)

6
Q

What are the heterogametic females and homogametic males called (rare)

A

ZW- hetereogametic female

ZZ- homogametic male

7
Q

Which syndromes showed evidence in the Y chromosome being sex determinator

A

Kline felter syndrome - XXY

Turner - XO (1 sex chromosome)

8
Q

How did Klinefelter syndrome (XXY) in males suggest Y chromosome was sex determining

A

Even in the presence of 2 XX, people with the syndrome developed male characteristics eg beards

9
Q

The Y chromosome has 3 regions on it. Explain them

A

Par- pseudoautosomal regions - homolog to X

MSY - male specific region - male genes

SRY - sex determining region - testes determining factor - produces testes in tissue of embryo

10
Q

How does temperature of the incubation of eggs in some reptiles like crocodiles determine sex

A

The temperature affects the enzymes in steroid hormone production - if higher temp these denature and produce females

11
Q

What is dosage compensation

A

A process which keeps the number of x linked genes similar in female and males despite the female having double the Xs

12
Q

What are Barr bodies and where were they discovered

A

Barr bodies are condensed X chromosomes found to be inactivated in female nucleus

13
Q

What does the discovery of Barr bodies mean

A

Only 1 X is ever active in a human

Eg in females on 1 X is active despite having 2

This keeps x linked genes same

14
Q

What was the Lyon hypothesis about Barr bodies

A

Inactivation of an X is random whether it is the x from the male or the female

Once inactivated , all Progeny cells have the same X inactivated

15
Q

How are X chromosomes inactivated

A

Initiated from the XIC(x inactivation centre)

The rna non coding transcript XIST packages around 1 X chromosome

This then forms into heterochromatin (condensed silenced)

16
Q

What is xist and tsix

A

Rna non coding transcripts which inactivate X chromosomes