Case Study: SRY not SRY
Santhi Soundararajan
1. What is the main question of the case?
2. What is the difference between a diploid cell and a haploid cell?
3. What characteristics distinguish human males from females?
4. What is the difference between anatomy and physiology with regards to tests that would be used to
determine sex?
5. What is a karyotype? Males have how many autosomes and what sex chromosome combination?
6. What is sexual dimorphism?
7. What is the purpose of meiosis? How many gametes are created during meiosis?
8. Sketch meiosis showing the main events and the resulting gametes.
9. Describe how independent assortment and crossing-over ensures that each gamete is different.
10. How is sex determined in humans, based on chromosomes?
11. What is nondisjunction?
12. What is Klinefelter syndrome?
13. What is the chromosome theory of inheritance?
14. What is the SRY gene?
15. What happens if an XY individual is missing the SRY gene?
16. What happens if an XX individual has a SRY gene?
17. How is it possible that the SRY gene could end up on the X chromosome or be missing from the Y
chromosome?
18. If a person is 46, XY -SRY , is the person male or female?
19. What is gonadal dysgenesis?
20. What is androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS)?
Synthesis
I. Write a short paragraph that discusses how a person could have a sex chromosomes that differs from their
external appearance, focusing on the SRY gene and meiosis. Your grade will be based on the richness of details
and the explanation, you may want to include sketches to illustrate your points.
II. Write a position statement on whether you think athletes like Santhi should be allowed to compete. Use
evidence based reasoning in your position.