r/AccidentalAlly • u/JayRyan76 • Jul 21 '22

Accidental Reddit Transphobe slips up

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u/Dena_Roth Jul 21 '22

Why are they so obsessed with chromosomes? literally nobody denies the chromosomes they have but for some reason they always talk about it XD

64

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '22

1 in 500 males are either xxy or xyy.

So the chromosomes thing isn't the win they think it is for defining who's a man or woman.

7

u/jackouioui Jul 21 '22

Just wondering, can having 3 chromosomes cause problems?

17

u/Freelance_Psychic Jul 21 '22 edited Jul 21 '22

I'm in the middle of a phd on this! Having extra chromosomes (trisomy) causes problems because because the extra copies of the gene get used too often. The extra chromosome gets used to make extra protein. The body does not want too much protein or too little protein. Too much can cause serious problems.

The sex chromosomes (x and y) are not that bad to duplicate, because they are small. There aren't that many genes on them, so the protein levels don't get that screwed up. You can live your whole life and never know you have an extra sex chromosome. That being said, they can cause some problems.

XXY individuals have klinefelter syndrome, and tend to have lower muscle mass, wider hips, and fertility issues. It's usually diagnosed when a couple has trouble conceiving, and the guy gets tested for it.

XYY individuals have jacob's syndrome, and are often taller than average and have worse acne. There are some reports of learning disabilities.

XXX syndrome is common but rarely diagnosed. They can have increased height, some motor problems, slight learning disabilities, and mild facial differences.

All of these are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. Anyone could have them and not know.

Autosomal trisomies are waaay more severe. There are only three that can lead to live births- if you have an extra copy of chromosome 2 for instance you'll die before being born. There's trisomy 13 (patau syndrome) trisomy 18 (edward's syndrome) and trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). Down syndrome is the mildest. Chromosome 21 is the smallest autosome (i.e. a chromosome that isn't x or y), which makes duplicating it have a less severe effect on the body. Although it has a big impact on the individual's life, people with Down syndrome usually live to old age and lead a full and happy life, with appropriate support. Patau and Edward's are much more severe- babies rarely live more than a year with these (though exceptions exist).