The question of the Y chromosome disappearing has made many debates among scientists and the public. Over the last 300 million years, the Y chromosome determining male sex in humans has shed an incredible number of genes. Whereas it originally hosted 1,438 genes, today it only carries 45 genes. This development of shrinkage had several questionnaires about what could happen if the Y chromosome were to continue disappearing. Now, let’s see why this is occurring and what the meaning of that is for the future of men.
Why Is the Y Chromosome Disappearing?
The researchers have pointed out that it is “running out of time.” While the X chromosome carries about 1,100 genes, the Y chromosome has steadily shed genes over millions of years. Some scientists are of the opinion that this is a result of the absence of gene recombination which would help in repairing or maintaining the integrity of chromosomes. Without the mentioned repair mechanism, the Y chromosome further shrinks and may indeed disappear altogether.
What Does This Mean for the Future of Men?
If the Y chromosome disappearing trend is not contained, it should raise quite serious implications regarding the future of male offspring and the survival of humankind. Some research argues that even when the Y chromosome totally disappears, it does not mean the end of human males. There are species which lost their Y chromosomes but nevertheless still have males because their sex-determination systems are different from those of humans. This, however, does not alleviate the fear that loss of the Y chromosome may pose a threat to the future of human males.
What Happens if the Y Chromosome Disappears?
The concept of the Y chromosome disappearing has subsequently created many questions as regards the future of humanity. If the Y chromosome were to disappear entirely one day, this could mean an end to natural male births. However, researchers like Professor Jennifer A. Marshall Graves put forward the fact that this could be a process which might take approximately 11 million years. By then, humans would have found some alternative to ensure that the continuance of the male sex. Thus, technology and science can develop new means of substitution for genetic functions of the Y chromosome.
Could ‘Y: The Last Man’ Become a Reality?
With the TV series “Y: The Last Man,” one contemplates a world where, after a mysterious plague, only one man was left alive. The story is fictional, but what if, at some point in the future, there actually were no men left? Such a concept begs an intriguing question: Could such a thing really happen in real life if the Y chromosome were to just disappear? This is apparently unlikely, but the fact that scientists even consider this possibility underlines how important it is to understand what will happen if the Y chromosome disappearing.
The Y chromosome disappearing is an idea that brings several questions. Which is about the evolution of men and humans in the future. While its complete disappearance might not be expected in millions of years, it is still good to understand the implications it carries. From all these challenges, science and technology could proffer a solution, but of course, the shrinking Y chromosome will be an issue to be monitored.
Join the Conversation
What do you think about the ‘Y chromosome disappearing’ and what that might mean for the future of men? Will science find a solution, or does that call into question human evolution? We want to hear from you! Share your comments in the section below, and let the discussion roll on.
