In article <1992Jul14.122332.268 at wsuhub.uc.twsu.edu> writes:
> Is there a possibility of human hermaphrodite? If yes, what would be the
> phenotype, if the genotype is a)XX and b)XY. Would they be fertile?
There are all sorts of sex determination abnormalities, including 46,XX males
(i.e. cytogenetically a female but phenotypically male), 46,XY females (sort of
the complement). Some of these likely arise, respectively, from translocation
or deletion/mutation of the male determining gene on the Y (SRY locus). There
are also true hermaphrodites and pseudo-hermaphrodites. The true hermaphrodites
are typically 46,XX cytogenetically. True hermaphrodites have both male and
female gonads - I believe I saw an article in the Times (N.Y. that is not
National Inquirer) a few weeks ago reporting on a "male" pregnancy and giving
birth in Brazil - likely this person was a true hermaphrodite. Sex
determination is a complex cascade of events with only the initial switch for
selecting the male differentiation pathway being on the Y chromosome. Many
other genes are involved and likely reside on autosomes or the X chromosome.
See for example and to find other refs:
AN 91025710. 9012A.
AU Borghi-A. Papi-L. Bigozzi-U. Biagioni-M. Taddei-G-L.
Natali-A.
Maiello-M.
TI True hermaphroditism: a new case with complex mosaicism.
SO Genet-Couns. 1990. 1(1). P 81-8.
AN 90169967. 9004A.
AU Abbas-N-E. Toublanc-J-E. Boucekkine-C. Toublanc-M.
Affara-N-A.
Job-J-C. Fellous-M.
TI A possible common origin of "Y-negative" human XX males and XX
true hermaphrodites.
SO Hum-Genet. 1990 Mar. 84(4). P 356-60.
AN 87278171. 8709A.
AU Waibel-F. Scherer-G. Fraccaro-M. Hustinx-T-W. Weissenbach-J.
Wieland-J. Mayerov'a-A. Back-E. Wolf-U.
TI Absence of Y-specific DNA sequences in human 46,XX true
hermaphrodites and in 45,X mixed gonadal dysgenesis.
SO Hum-Genet. 1987 Aug. 76(4). P 332-6.
--
David A. Adler Pathology SM-30
University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195
(206) 543-0716 (phone) (206) 543-3644 (fax)
"Science is nothing but trained and organized common sense"
T.H.Huxley
