Discover Magazine
Not Exactly Rocket Science
Ed Yong
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/03/10/every-cell-in-a-chicken-has-its-own-male-or-female-identity/#more-850 (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/03/10/every-cell-in-a-chicken-has-its-own-male-or-female-identity/#more-850)
The animal on the right is no ordinary chicken. Its right half looks like a hen but its left half (with a larger wattle, bigger breast, whiter colour and leg spur) is that of a cockerel. The bird is a 'gynandromorph', a rare sexual chimera. Thanks to three of these oddities, Debiao Zhao and Derek McBride from the University of Edinburgh have discovered a truly amazing secret about these most familiar of birds – every single cell in a chicken's body is either male or female. Each one has its own sexual identity. It seems that becoming male or female is a very different process for birds than it is for mammals.
In mammals, it's a question of testicles, ovaries and the hormones they produce. Embryos live in sexual limbo until the sex organs (gonads) start to develop. This all depends on a sexual dictator called SRY, a gene found on the Y chromosome. If it's present, the indifferent gonads go down a male route; if not, they take a female one. The sex organs then secrete a flush of hormones that trigger changes in the rest of the body. The sex chromosomes are only relevant in the cells of the gonads.
I have two male personalities and three female personalities. We completely support the right for bird's cells to identify how they choose.
Quote from: VeryGnawty on November 17, 2011, 08:44:06 PM
I have two male personalities and three female personalities. We completely support the right for bird's cells to identify how they choose.
Lol. I was going to make a comment about insect gynandromorphs, but now I'm just going to giggle and go back to folding laundry.
We are made from male and female chromosomes.
However, which one we choose to identify is based more on the environment.
Quote from: Felix on November 17, 2011, 09:46:31 PM
Lol. I was going to make a comment about insect gynandromorphs, but now I'm just going to giggle and go back to folding laundry.
Or frogs.............who can change their gender themselves...... lucky b@stards...lol
Quote from: _Mango_ on November 18, 2011, 02:51:48 AM
Or frogs.............who can change their gender themselves...... lucky b@stards...lol
Yeah, but it's not so lucky for us when we splice them into dinosaurs and they go all "let's reproduce and take over Jurassic Park" on us. ...I watch to many movies.
The thing about the chicken is pretty cool though.
Quote from: Bradd on November 18, 2011, 04:26:03 AM
Yeah, but it's not so lucky for us when we splice them into dinosaurs and they go all "let's reproduce and take over Jurassic Park" on us. ...I watch to many movies.
LMAO!
Butterflies are particularly beautiful when they're gynandromorphs.
Quote from: Lepidoptera on November 18, 2011, 10:16:44 AM
Butterflies are particularly beautiful when they're gynandromorphs.
Yes. Nice demonstration. :)