Im wondering what the gentic difference between men and women is?

Question

In my sociology class last year my professor told me that the difference between Black people, White people, Hispanic people and all other people really exists in our culture but not in our genetics, which I was happy to agree with. In this lecture, she cited the fact that all humans, regardless of color, are the same species, which is backed by the fact that we share 99.99% of our DNA. Then about three months later an article was published in TIME magazine saying that chimpanzees and humans' DNA are 99% alike.
And I’m aware of the XY and XX chromosome difference in our sex cells, but its been awhile since I’ve taken biology, and I’m curious to know the DNA differences between men and women, so that I can put the .001% difference in perspective. Men and women have totally different bodies, yet my DNA may correlate more to a Nigerian Woman than to another Caucasian Male, so I wonder, what is the real relevance of DNA, and if it is relevant, do we really understand it?

Answer 1

Curiously enough, the only mandatory difference between men and women is ONE (1) gene. This has been verified experimentally (not on humans!) by inserting the one gender gene into a completely female zygote, which then grew to be male by just about any determination. In humans, this gene lies on the Y chromosome and makes you male.

Now, obviously there are lots and lots of differences between men and women and it may seem odd that just one gene could make all that difference. But here's what you need to keep in mind: some genes work by turning on and off other genes. Thus most people have both the DNA required to be male AND the DNA required to be female. That one gene just determines which set that they use.

Another interesting tidbit is that although men have XY and women have XX, in women's cells one of the Xs isn't used at all. It gets completely inactivated and tossed in a corner of the nucleus, called a 'Barr Body'. So the real difference between men and women genetically is that men have a Y and women don't.

Answer 2

I'm not really sure what your exact question is, but DNA and genetics are only one part of what we become; there is culture, nurture, and furthermore it's becoming more and more apparent that certain genes actually turn other genes on and off! So this is all extremely complicated, and the fact that women have an X chromosome is only the tip of the iceberg; the expression of that chromosome can have vastly different effects on the brain and body due to hormonal influences and other factors that we still don't understand.

Women and men having different bodies amounts more to their exposure to testosterone and estrogen in the womb than to anything else; as there are plenty of hermaphrodites (single person showing traits of both genders) to show that the balance is quite delicate and men and women can actually fail to differentiate.

Answer 3

If by the differences between people of different races, you mean things pertaining to character and habits, then yes, it's cultural. Immigrant children usually adapt to a culture and pick up the habits of those around them. In terms of skin color, height, and facial characteristics, it is genetics that causes the differences. The reason that our DNA is so similar to chimpanzees is that even though we look very differently, internally we share the same organs and we have almost the exact same proteins and other molecules that carry out cellular functions. The vast majority of genes encode these things and not bodily shape. For example, when we eat we need to be able to break down sugars into something we can use for energy (ATP). A chimpanzee needs to be able to do this. so does a dog and a rat; even a worm needs to do this and we all use common mechanisms for carrying this out, so we need the same or similar proteins and therefore same or similar DNA regions.
On top of that, most of our DNA doesn't code for anything, so similarities in these regions aren't necessarily indicative of similarities elsewhere. There are regulatory regions, but once again, these are for cellular processes that are similar to many organisms.
As for men and women, the difference is in the XX for females and XY for males, though each female cell only uses one of the X chromosomes. so basically, men have an extra chromosome and so slightly different DNA composition. This difference causes a difference in sex hormone production, which causes sexual differentiation. In fact, in the uterus, we all start out as female until these hormones start being produced. DNA is very relevant because it allows us to study diseases (cancer is caused by the messing up of DNA) and relationships between people. Although very similar between people, there are always some differences and it is unique to each person as evidenced by it use in forensically identifying individuals.
[yay for biochemistry majors]

Answer 4

I think that you're thinking about DNA in a 'wrong' sort of sense. Consider this. You've got a cookbook of all the different ways which you can make mashed potatoes and cheese. Most all of the recipes are the same, but in each of them there is some minor variation. It might be that one calls for a totally different kind of cheese, one might call for white cheese, one might call for yellow cheese, one might even call for goatcheese. Within that same book, you have some recipes which request that you use Russet potatos and some which call for you using Yukon Gold potatos. While still others call for you using plain old Idaho potatos.

DNA basically is a set of instructions for how to create an organism. While it's all basically the same, to create the forms, colors, textures, and structures which make us all up. There are a few differences included within the instructions to provide variety and differentiation. It's that slight bit of differentiation which causes the gulf between men and women.

So, the differences in Men and Women, it might simply come down to a different kind of potato or a different kind of cheese.

Answer 5

The difference is explained by hormones. Male hormones have a tremendous impact on brain development early in life and other characteristics later. The same applies to female hormones. Some men take female hormones to look like a female.

Answer 6

DON'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ IN TIME!

Do some Independent research ON YOUR OWN!

Some were Created, like Man and surely GOD did not make Monkeys LIKE man!

Thanks, RR

Answer 7

Thats a very interesting question ...

wish I knew the answer.

Answer 8

males have XY chromosomes, women have XX

everything else is identical -- genetically, at least

Answer 9

Not much to debate about !

Answer 10

women are fickle and men are confused