Determining child's gender before conception may be reality

August 16, 2019  16:32

Determining the gender of the child before conception can become a reality.

A unique way to program the gender of the embryo was introduced by scientists from the University of Hiroshima, PLOS reported.

The X chromosome is the gender chromosome that is involved in gender determination. Females of all mammals have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY). Therefore, in most mammals, the ratio of male to female offspring is about 50%, since half of the sperm contains either the Y chromosome or the X chromosome.

A new method is to slow sperm with the X chromosome by activating specific receptors. The use of this method with subsequent artificial insemination allowed to obtain the offspring of mice, consisting of males by 90 percent.

However, scientists have not tested whether this technique works with other mammalian species, but previous work has shown that this technology is potentially compatible with human and pig sperm.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter


 
  • Video
 
 
  • Event calendar
 
 
  • Archive