Sex determination in mythology and history

Abstract

The history of ideas on how the sexes became divided spans at least three thousand years. The biblical account of the origin of Eve, and the opinions of the philosophers of classical Greece, have unexpected bearings on present-day ideas. The scientific study of sex determination can be said to have begun in the 17th century with the discovery of spermatozoa, but the origin and function of the "spermatic animalcules" eluded investigators until 1841. The mammalian egg was discovered in 1827, and in the last quarter of the century fertilization was observed. The view current at that time, that sex determination was under environmental control, gave way to the idea of chromosomal determination in the first quarter of the 20th century. The study of human and other mammalian chromosomes during the third quarter of the century, and the discovery of sex-chromosome abnormalities, emphasized the importance of the Y chromosome for male sex determination. The last quarter of the century witnessed a hunt for the "testis-determining" gene, thought to be responsible for the differentiation of Sertoli cells, and culminating in the isolation of SRY (Sry in the mouse). However, an increasing number of additional genes and growth factors were found to be required for the establishment of male sex. During the same period evidence emerged that male development was accompanied by enhanced growth, both of gonads and whole embryos. An unexpected finding was the demonstration of temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles. With the advent of the 21st century, it was shown that Sry induces cell proliferation in fetal mouse gonads, and it has been suggested that male sex differentiation in mammals requires a higher metabolic rate. These insights could lead to a better understanding and improved treatment of abnormalities of sexual development. RESUMO Determinação Sexual em Mitologia e História.A história das idéias sobre a origem da divisão entre sexo masculino e feminino tem pelo menos três mil anos. A explicação bíblica para a origem de Eva e as opiniões dos filósofos da Grécia antiga relacionamse de forma surpreendente com as idéias atuais. Pode-se dizer que o estudo científico da determinação do sexo iniciou-se no século XVII com a descoberta dos espermatozóides, mas sua origem e função somente foram desvendadas em 1841. O óvulo dos mamíferos foi descoberto em 1827, e no último quarto desse século a fertilização foi observada. A visão corrente naquela época, de que a determinação do sexo estava sob controle do ambiente, deu lugar à idéia da determinação cromossômica no primeiro quarto do século XX. O estudo dos cromossomos dos seres humanos e de outros mamíferos no terceiro quarto desse século e a descoberta de aberrações dos cromossomos sexuais enfatizaram a importância do cromossomo Y para a determi-

Identification of sex‐specific markers and heterogametic XX/XY sex determination system by 2b‐RAD sequencing in redtail catfish (Mystus wyckioides)

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The Effect of Pre-Pregnancy Feeding on the Sex Ratio of Sheep and Cattle

“…The first experiments revealed that there were nutrients and substances that were effective in the determination of sex by Greek philosophers in the antiquity period. Peck [1] (384-322 BC) found that females were denser and colder in terms of air and water and that males were formed in more dilute and warm winds. He defended the false thinking that the male fluid would merge with the offspring, but was known as the first true empiricist as a result of his first scientific empirical studies.…”

Governing Sex Determination in Fish: Regulatory Putsches and Ephemeral Dictators

“…The identification of new sex-determining genes in these species will shed new light on the exceptional evolutionary instability governing sex determination in fish. The origin and control of sex determination have fascinated philosophers and scientists over at least three thousand years [Mittwoch, 2005]. Diverse theories have been developed to explain the occurrence of males and females, particularly in human.…”