GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

From: "Ralph Turner" <>
Subject: [DNA] Y chromosome effects
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 10:03:50 -0800
References: <200101111000.f0BA0NG10930@lists5.rootsweb.com>
In-Reply-To: <200101111000.f0BA0NG10930@lists5.rootsweb.com>

In response to the question about the Y Chromosome and how it would 'show up' in the generations. According to what I have been reading the Y chromosome is very short and contains few genes. It has been reduced to its main function it seems of determining maleness. Therefore the genes are mostly functioning to carry on sperm cell vigor, sperm cell count, male primary sex characteristics and one other thing: stature. But evidently not much else. The same kind of thing can be said for the Mitochondria. They are just carrying genes for making metabolism. For translating food into energy. How this is manifest in the looks of someone or even their behavior is conjectural. Mainly we are interested in the Y chromosome and the Mitochondria because they are sex linked and carry markers.

Even the stature thing is not well understood. Its just that if the sperm are from an older man there is a greater chance of smaller stature. The sperm don't 'wear out' of course as they are produced constantly, but the cells producing the sperm do 'wear out' or have lose some of the 'leaders' on their DNA strands, as they reproduce over an over, and thus cause misinformation to be transferred. Something like that.

The nucleus carrys the burden of most of the genes but few of them are in the Y chromosome, so that is the place to look for visible and behavorial characteristics, as well as more markers. But the information is shared from both parents so it is not sex linked in the convenient way that the Y chromosome and the mitochondrial DNA is.

RT

This thread:

• [DNA] Y chromosome effects by "Ralph Turner" <>