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From: hes@ecsvax.UUCP (Henry Schaffer)
Newsgroups: net.bio
Subject: Re: Human Genetics (a query)
Message-ID: <1825@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 2-Aug-85 22:43:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.1825
Posted: Fri Aug  2 22:43:46 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Aug-85 09:01:30 EDT
References: <241@weitek.UUCP>
Organization: NC State Univ.
Lines: 22
Keywords: sex chromosome recombination

Key to the understanding of this question is
that the human Y chromosome is a small
chromosome which carries very few genes
(if any) other that what it takes to make the
individual with it into a male.  It does *not*
carry copies of all the genes on the X, and
so is not really "homologous" to the X (all
the other 22 pairs are of homologous chromosomes.)
Thus a male does have his father's Y, and an X
from his mother (almost certainly resulting
from a recombination between her two X's,
as was discussed in the original posting.
So some of the sociobiological implications
may have to be skipped because of the few
genes passed on the Y.
(Fine point, there may be a small portion
of the Y which is homologous to a corresponding
small portion of the X.  If this is so, then
there could be a *tiny* bit of recombination,
but this would not fit into the type of effect
as in recombination of autosomes.)
--henry schaffer  n c state univ