Question

Describe the multiple ways in which the sex of an organism can be determined, including types of hermaphroditism.

Answer 1

the multiple ways in which the sex of an organism can be determined are as follows:-

Sex can be determined by environmental cues (such as temperature), or genetically. Genetic sex determination occurs when an inherited difference in genes or chromosomes initiates the sex determination signal, acting as a ‘master switch’ for male or female development.

Most widely known genetic sex determination system is the male heterogametic XX/XY system found in most mammals, where the Sry gene on the Y chromosome determines male sex. Thus, XY individuals develop as males, and XX individuals develop as females.

Many other organisms, including birds, have a ZZ/ZW chromosomal system, where heterogametic ZW individuals develop as female, and homogametic ZZ individuals develop as male.

A hermaphrodite is an organism that has complete or partial reproductive organs and produces gametes normally associated with both male and female sexes. example, tunicates, snails and slugs.

In polygenic sex determination (PSD), multiple, independently segregating sex ‘switch’ loci or alleles determine sex within a species. In the case of platyfish, some populations have both a Y male determination allele and a W female determination allele segregating at the same chromosome pair.