Genetic alteration linked with disorders of sex determination
Thursday, December 2, 2010 - 14:34
in Psychology & Sociology
A variety of genetic factors are involved in sex determination. If something goes wrong with one of these factors, people who have a chromosome set that predicts they will be of one sex may develop as the other sex or have traits on the spectrum between the two sexes. There can be emotional and social stress associated with disorders of sex determination (DSD), and in many cases, infertility is an additional problem. Several genetic alterations that cause DSDs have been identified, and work continues in an effort to elucidate the cause in other individuals. Research published by Cell Press on December 2nd in the American Journal of Human Genetics reveals new information about how sex determination can go awry.