2019-09-01 21:00:00
The more than 200 different kinds of cells that make up our bodies contain the same genetic information. Not all genes are active in all cells. Those who are at a given moment are said to be being expressed. The expression of a gene leads to the generation of some component of the cellular machinery that affects its functioning. And it is that, in effect, cells are small and highly sophisticated machines, whose operation depends on how their genes are expressed.
Males and females do not have exactly the same genome. In the case of mammals, males have one X and one Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes, although, in general, only the genes of one or the other of them are expressed. One of the X chromosomes is randomly inactivated in each of the cells of females and female mammals.
Studies have shown that there are numerous differences between males and females, and yes, between men and women. In the human case, in addition to the obvious differences in height, weight, strength or body shape, there are others such as differences in metabolism, in brain anatomy, and in cardiac and immune functions. Of course, none of them should have an impact on achieving the desired social equality between both sexes.
Given the importance and magnitude of some differences between the sexes, some thought that, in addition to direct differences in the expression of genes contained on the X and Y chromosomes, there must also be indirect differences, that is, caused by different gene functioning. located not on the sex chromosomes but on the other chromosomes, the so-called autosomal chromosomes.
To study how gene expression affects sex differences, researchers from various research centers in Massachusetts, in USAhave carried out a genomic study in which they compare the expression of genes between males and females of five different species in 12 different organs.
This analysis reveals that the expression of hundreds of genes located on autosomal chromosomes differs between males and females. These studies are very important when choosing animal species to be able to study with them in the laboratory the way to treat diseases of different incidence between men and women.
Jorge Laborda, September 1, 2018
Referencia: Sahin Naqvi et al. Conservation, acquisition, and functional impact of sex-biased gene expression in mammals. Science 365, eaaw7317 (2019).
More information in the Jorge Laborda’s Blog.
Outreach works by Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume I. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume II. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume III. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume IV. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume V. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume VI. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume VII. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume VIII. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume IX. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume X. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume XI. Jorge Laborda
Chained circumstances. Ed.Lulu
One moon, one civilization. Why the Moon tells us that we are alone in the Universe
One Moon one civilization why the Moon tells us we are alone in the universe
#Cienciaes.com #Male #female #genes