Male Mutation Bias (IMAGE)

Arizona State University

Male Mutation Bias

Caption

Human sperm bearing either an X or a Y chromosome stream toward a human egg, which carries an X chromosome. Fertilization by an X-carrying sperm generally results in a genetic female offspring (XX) while a Y-carrying sperm will lead to a male offspring (XY). Because sperm undergo many more cycles of replication than eggs, more male mutations (red bands) can become part of the genome--a phenomenon known as male mutation bias.

Credit

Jason Drees for the Biodesign Institute

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