Featured Picture Credit score: Michael Heffernan/Yuichiro ChinoScientists have a number of theories of what that would imply for the futurePublished Mar 22, 2024, 12:03:07 GMTLast up to date Mar 22, 2024, 12:03:04 GMTThe Y chromosome is disappearing and scientists have been left divided over what precisely that would imply.Chromosomes are one figuring out issue of the intercourse traits we develop – nevertheless it’s believed by scientists that the Y chromosome is disintegrating over time.Researchers have been theorising about what precisely this might imply ought to the Y chromosome disappear altogether – and there are a number of completely different opinions.After all, not everybody has a Y chromosome as many individuals carry solely XX chromosomes by way of their lives.Yuichiro Chino / GettyOf the 2 chromosomes, if it is XX or XY, the second can decide a number of elements round what intercourse traits an individual develops.Nonetheless, the Y in XY as carried by males is the ‘grasp swap’ gene (SRY), which determines organic intercourse.However the Y chromosome seems to be a bit much less safe in comparison with the X one.This has led scientists to hold out a examine into what introduced this about.The examine instructed that the Y chromosome has degenerated over the estimated 3.5 million years that people have existed.If this continues, they estimate that the genetic marker has roughly 4.6 million years left earlier than it disappears from our DNA altogether.So to be truthful, it is in all probability not one thing to fret about within the quick time period.This degeneration is as a result of the Y chromosome has just one copy – handed from father to son – which has degraded over time – not like different chromosomes which can be in pairs.So what does this imply for the Y chromosome?RF / Andrew Brookes / GettyWhile there’s no rapid trigger for alarm – particularly since animals do not technically want intercourse chromosomes – the obvious shrinking chromosome has realised some attention-grabbing questions for researchers about what may occur subsequent.Australian researcher, Jenny Graves, has instructed that the Y will finally depart our DNA – probably inflicting fertility issues for our species sooner or later – resulting from an absence of males.Primarily based at La Trobe College, she goes on to theorise that this might pressure the emergence of a brand new species as we evolve over the approaching thousands and thousands of years.Different scientists have a distinct opinion.Nick David / GettyProfessor Darren Griffin and Peter Ellis from the College of Kent have argued that the top of the Y chromosome is not going to imply the top of males.As a substitute, they recommend that the SRY gene will merely transfer to a different chromosome because it has executed in different species – such because the mole vole.In reality, many genes are now not wanted for human replica, because of new therapies and genetic engineering might quickly be capable of change the Y chromosome altogether.Till then, researchers will proceed to review the degrading genetic marker as they delve deeper into the center of human biology.Subjects: Information, World Information, Science