Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxf.cso.uiuc.edu!mike From: mike@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu (Mike Trogni) Newsgroups: sci.bio Subject: Re: Genetic Mosaic Humans Message-ID: <1989Dec9.184658.9132@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: 9 Dec 89 18:46:58 GMT References: <2630003@hpcilzb.HP.COM> <24804@cup.portal.com> <24831@cup.portal.com> Sender: news@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (News) Reply-To: mike@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu (Mike Trogni) Distribution: na Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Lines: 12 Mark Thorson is correct. All normal(1) women have two X chromosomes, one donated from the mother & one from the father. Since twice of all the genetic information would be too much, the somatic cells under X-inactivation, randomly turning off one X chromosome, so if you study carefully traits that are expressed by somatic cells that are determined genetically, you will find that women are somatically anyway, a genetic amalgamation. (1) Some genetic mishaps can occur and some women can end up with three (or more) X chromosomes. Men can have XYY, etc. Some scientists used to believe that men with XYY chromosomes had a tendency to be criminals! -- [m-trogni@uiuc.edu]