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Assuming you could get a pair of working ovaries with male chromosomes... what would happen? I really don't know enough about biology or genetics... Or is the

by mfoy_ 9y ago

Assuming you could get a pair of working ovaries with male chromosomes... what would happen? I really don't know enough about biology or genetics... Or is the issue that with male chromosomes it's "tricky" to get working ovaries? But what if it's not the typical transgender surgery, but actually having the gonads and tubercle turn into ovaries and clitoris instead of testicles and penis?

seszett 9y ago
> Assuming you could get a pair of working ovaries with male chromosomes... what would happen? I imagine it would produce about half X-ovums and half Y-ovums. X-ovums should be normal, Y-ovums might not be viable at all. If they were, Y-spermatozoons could probably not fertilise them, or in any case it would fail rather fast without developing into a viable embryo. X-spermatozoons could fertilise them to produce male embryos. Producing working ovaries with male chromosomes is the most unlikely step, but otherwise it seems like it should work provided the biological machinery is there to support pregnancy.
- mnw21cam 9y ago
  I strongly suspect that Y-ovums would not be viable at all. There's a lot on the X chromosome that is pretty vital. How Y-spermatozoons get away with it I'm not quite sure.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
delecti 9y ago
Genetic males have an X chromosome, so they have everything necessary to make ovaries. The issue is that the Y chromosome has the SRY gene [1], and that single gene is more or less responsible for kicking off the whole process of developing male genitalia in a fetus. That gene can get displaced off of the normal Y-chromosome and onto an X-chromosome resulting in XX Males [2] or XY Females [3]. Both conditions invariably result in sterility, though outwardly they appear mostly normal (XX Males externally look male, XY Females externally look female). That said, the fact that one gene seems to have so much effect suggests it's plausible that in the future we might be able to do something to make those individuals fertile, or to enable genital reconstruction surgeries for transgender people that enable new fertility. Note that much of this may be oversimplified, so any experts can feel free to apply some pedantry to the finer details. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testis-determining_factor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testis-determining_factor [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XX_male_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XX_male_syndrome [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_gonadal_dysgenesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_gonadal_dysgenesis

by mfoy_ 9y ago

seszett 9y ago

> Assuming you could get a pair of working ovaries with male chromosomes... what would happen? I imagine it would produce about half X-ovums and half Y-ovums. X-ovums should be normal, Y-ovums might not be viable at all. If they were, Y-spermatozoons could probably not fertilise them, or in any case it would fail rather fast without developing into a viable embryo. X-spermatozoons could fertilise them to produce male embryos. Producing working ovaries with male chromosomes is the most unlikely step, but otherwise it seems like it should work provided the biological machinery is there to support pregnancy.

mnw21cam 9y ago
I strongly suspect that Y-ovums would not be viable at all. There's a lot on the X chromosome that is pretty vital. How Y-spermatozoons get away with it I'm not quite sure.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

delecti 9y ago

Genetic males have an X chromosome, so they have everything necessary to make ovaries. The issue is that the Y chromosome has the SRY gene [1], and that single gene is more or less responsible for kicking off the whole process of developing male genitalia in a fetus. That gene can get displaced off of the normal Y-chromosome and onto an X-chromosome resulting in XX Males [2] or XY Females [3]. Both conditions invariably result in sterility, though outwardly they appear mostly normal (XX Males externally look male, XY Females externally look female). That said, the fact that one gene seems to have so much effect suggests it's plausible that in the future we might be able to do something to make those individuals fertile, or to enable genital reconstruction surgeries for transgender people that enable new fertility. Note that much of this may be oversimplified, so any experts can feel free to apply some pedantry to the finer details. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testis-determining_factor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testis-determining_factor [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XX_male_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XX_male_syndrome [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_gonadal_dysgenesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_gonadal_dysgenesis