Book Description:
Sex chromosomes determine the sex of an organism. A human somatic cell has two sex chromosomes: XY in male and XX in female. A human germ cell has one sex chromosome: X or Y in a sperm and X in an egg. When an X-sperm is combined with an egg, the resulting zygote (fertilized egg) will contain two X chromosomes. A person developed from the XX-zygote will have the characteristics of a female. Combination of a Y-sperm and an egg will produce a male.Usually, a woman has two X chromosomes (XX) and a man one X and one Y (XY). However, both male and female characteristics can sometimes be found in one individual, and it is possible to have XY women and XX men. Analysis of such individuals has revealed some of the molecules involved in sex determination, including one called SRY, which is important for testis formation. SRY (which stands for sex-determining region Y gene) is found on the Y chromosome. In the cell, it binds to other DNA and in doing so distorts it dramatically out of shape. This alters the properties of the DNA and likely alters the expression of a number of genes, leading to testis formation. Most XX men who lack a Y chromosome do still have a copy of the SRY gene on one of their X chromosomes (moved there by chromosomal translocation). This copy accounts for their maleness. However, because the remainder of the Y chromosome is missing they frequently do not develop secondary sexual characteristics in the usual way. This new book presents the latest research in the field from around the world.

Table of Contents:
Preface

Chapter 1. Sex Chromosomes, Gender Differences and Disease, pp. 1-24
(Lopes AM, Sargent CA, Affara NA, Amorim A, Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto,Porto, Portugal, and others)

Chapter 2. Is There Always the Agreement of Chromosomal and Phenotypic Sex?, pp. 25-42
(Lidka Lisá, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic, Jiří Lisý, Department of Imaging Methods, 2nd Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague)

Chapter 3. Genomic Imprinting, X Chromosome Inactivation and Gestational Trophoblastic Diseases, pp. 43-62
(Pei Hui, Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine)

Chapter 4. Insights into Mammalian X-linked Gene Function From X-Monosomy and X-Polysomy, pp. 63-77
(William Davies, Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine and School of Psychology, University of Cardiff, U.K)

Chapter 5. The Fertile xy Females of Akodon (rodentia, sigmodontinae). The Case of a. Azarae and a. Boliviensis, pp. 79-94
(Lisanti J.A. , Sánchez A., Pinna-Senn E., Ortiz M.I. , Dalmasso G., Bella J.L., Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Fac. Cs. Exactas, Fco.-Qcas. y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Argentina, and others)

Chapter 6. Preimplantation Diagnosis For Aneuploidy Screening: A New Era Beyond Fish, pp. 95-122
(Pere Mir, Julio Martín, Carmen Rubio, IVI-Valencia (Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad). Valencia. Spain, and others)

Chapter 7. The W Chromosome Evolution and Sex-linked Gene Expression in the Japanese Frog Rana Rugosa, pp. 123-140
(Ikuo Miura, Tariq Ezaz, Hiromi Ohtani, Yoshinobu Uno, Chizuko Nishida, Yoichi Matsuda and Jennifer A. Marshall Graves, Institute for Amphibian Biology, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan, and others)

Chapter 8. The Y Chromosome of Drosophila Melanogaster and The Enigma of ‘Functional Heterochromatin’, pp. 141-163
(Roberto Piergentili, ; Sapienza – Università di Roma; Dept. of Genetics and Molecular Biology; Piazzale Aldo Moro, Rome, Italy)

Chapter 9. XY Male Pseudohermaphroditism, pp. 165-190
(R Payan-Carreira, MA Pires, J. Robalo Silva, CECAV, Univ. Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal, and others)

Chapter 10. Genetics And Epigenetics Variation In The Sex Chromosomes And Their Impact On Morphological Changes And Parapatric Speciation: Species Of The Genus Mepraia In Chile (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) A Case Study, pp. 191-206
(Daniel Frías L, Instituto de Entomología, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago, Chile)

Chapter 11. Compensation Contemplation, pp. 207-224
(James A. Birchler, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO)

Chapter 12. Dosage Compensation: From Mice to Humans to Birds and Back Again, pp. 225-257
(Ester Silveira Ramos and Susana M. Chuva de Sousa Lopes, Department of Genetics, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, and others)

Index