Comment on If we get two sets of chromosomes, how does our body decide which genes to use?

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AmidFuror@fedia.io ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

Best explanation so far. Nice work.

A couple of side points. OP's X chromosome is definitely expressed. It has many genes that are essential to both men and women. It's genes are not exclusively relating to sex differences. In fact, far from it.

Sex determination in humans is due (mostly) to a few genes on the Y chromosome. These both determine which sex organs will develop and also are critical for male fertility.

One of the major consequences of having a Y chromosome that doesn't recombine with it's partner X chromosome is that the Y chromosome has a tendency to lose genes and shrink over evolutionary times. This is prevented on chrX because it can recombine in females. It happens on chrY because there is little mechanistically to prevent it, and mutations resulting in loss are more common than those resulting in gain.

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