The Y chromosome is disappearing, Will men be wiped out by a fading Y chromosome?

The Y chromosome is disappearing:

• Men usually have one X and one Y chromosome (XY).
• Women have two X chromosomes (XX).
• The Y chromosome is much smaller than the X chromosome.

The Y chromosome is disappearing: Biologists have discovered that the Y chromosome, one of the two sex chromosomes in humans, is gradually disappearing. If it were to vanish completely, it could mean that male offspring might no longer be born in the future.

However, we still have hope.

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found that the spiny rat, a rodent species from Japan, developed a new male-determining gene after its Y chromosome disappeared.

This discovery gives hope for human survival, as it suggests a possible solution if our own Y chromosome faces extinction in the coming millions of years.

What is the Y Chromosome?

The Y chromosome contains genes essential for developing male reproductive organs, like the testes, and plays a key role in determining male sex.

Men usually have one X and one Y chromosome (XY), while women have two X chromosomes (XX). The Y chromosome is smaller than the X chromosome and has fewer genes.

According to Jennifer A. Marshall Graves, a Professor of Genetics, the human Y chromosome is on borrowed time. Over the past 300 million years, it has lost 1,393 of its original 1,438 genes, and at this rate, it could lose the remaining 45 in just 10 million years.

The human Y chromosome, which carries the SRY gene crucial for male development, has been slowly deteriorating over time.