1.

3$The$Incredible$Expanding$Adventures$of$the$X$
Chromosome
Wednesday,' September' 2,'2015

The'Royal'X
Everyone'inherits'23'chromosomes'from'each'parent
One'exception:
! Females'get'an'X'from'each'parent
! Males'get'an'X'from'their'mother'and'a'Y'from'their'father
X'inherited'by'a'women'from'her'mother'is'a'blend'of'genes'from'both'the'mother's'
Xs
X'inherited'by'a'women'from'her'father'is'his'one'and'only'X,'complete'and'
undiluted
Means'a'father'is'twice'as'closely'related' to'his'daughter'via'X'as'mother
Any'X'in'mother'has'50/50'chance'of'being'passed'on'to'daughter,'but'every'X'
in'father'is'certain'to'be'passed'on'to'daughter
Women'more'closely'XIrelated'to'paternal'grandmother'and'less'to'paternal'
grandfather
Men'more'closely'XIrelated'to'paternal'grandfather'and'less'to'paternal'
grandmother

The'X'in'Sex

Anhidrotic'ectodermal'dysplasia'(AED)'is'a'disorder'involving'sweat'glands'carried'on'
X'
Affected'males'have'no'sweat'glands
They'express'their'one'and'only'X'in'all'their'cells
Affected'females'on'only'one'X'have'different'patterns'of'expression'becomes'
different'areas'of'their'body'randomly'express'one'or'other'of'two'Xs
Possible'for'affected'woman'to'have'one'armpit'that'sweats'and'one'that'
doesn't
In'female'twins'one'of'two'Xs'is'random'expressed'(unlike'male'twins)
Explains'why'one'can'be'a'successful'athlete'yet'her'twin'suffers'from'
Duchenne'muscular'dystrophy'(DMD),'an'XIlinked'genetic'disease
Female'identical'twins'vary'more'on'social'behaviour'and'verbal'ability'than'
male'identical'twins
! Before'these'differences'would'have'been'attributed'to'environmental'
factors

The'X'Factor'in'IQ

Y'has'~100'genes'(none'linked'to'cognition)'and'X'has'~1,200'genes'(>150'linked'to'

 Female'identical'twins'vary'more'on'social'behaviour'and'verbal'ability'than'
male'identical'twins
! Before'these'differences'would'have'been'attributed'to'environmental'
factors

The'X'Factor'in'IQ

Y'has'~100'genes'(none'linked'to'cognition)'and'X'has'~1,200'genes'(>150'linked'to'
intelligence)'(linked'to'verbal'IQ)
Mother's'contribution'to'intelligence' more'significant'than'father's
Especially'for'male'child'(only'X'always'comes'from'mother)
Explains'why'there'are'more'males'than'females'with'very'high'and'very'low'IQs

The'Case'Against'"Genius"'Sperm'Banks

Only'half'of'sperm'donated'would'on'average'be'carrying'the'genius'X'chromosome
And'child'resulting'from'such'fertilization'would'be'female,'further'diluting'its'
effect'from'the'second'X'from'the'mother
Other'half'of'sperm'contains'Y'instead'of'X,'but'no'evidence'that'Y'implicated'in'
intelligence
Would'increase'vulnerability'to'intellectual' impairment'for'all'males
Any'genius'seen'would'result'from'single,'undiluted'maternal'X
Any'genius'would'be'from'X'and'environmental'factors

X'Expression' in'Autism

XIlinked
More'males'than'females'affected
Particularly'at'highIfunctioning'end'(Asperger's'syndrome'where'males'
outnumber'females'>10:1)
! Impairs'proIsocial'behaviour,'peer'relations,'and'verbal'ability
Same'traits'that'vary'between'identical'female'twins'compared'to'
identical'male'twins
Females'have'another'X'to'compensate'and'dilute'the'effect,'males'don't
Women'on'autism'spectrum'probably'among'the'35%'of'women'who'have'greater'
than'70:30'skew'in'pattern'of'X'expression'in'favour'of'one'parent's'X'over'the'other
7%'of'women'have'>90:10'skew
! Resembles'single'X'found'in'males
Variable'expression'of'several'XIlinked'genes'is'norm'in'Asperger's'syndrome'and'
combined'effects'are'highly'variable'(each'case'is'different)
Unlike'AED'or'Duchenne'muscular'dytrophy'which'have'consistent'symptoms'
because'only'1'gene'is'affected

X'Marks'the'Spot'in'the'Brain

Both'skin'and'brain'develop'from'same'layer'in'ball'of'cells' from'which'embryo'first'
forms
In'females'can'result'in'some'cells'expressing'one'parent's'X'and'some'expressing'
other's'(AED)
Since'it'can'happen'on'the'skin'it'can'happen'in'the'brain
Some'parts'might'express'father's'X'and'other'parts'mother's'X

 Both'skin'and'brain'develop'from'same'layer'in'ball'of'cells' from'which'embryo'first'
forms
In'females'can'result'in'some'cells'expressing'one'parent's'X'and'some'expressing'
other's'(AED)
Since'it'can'happen'on'the'skin'it'can'happen'in'the'brain
Some'parts'might'express'father's'X'and'other'parts'mother's'X
Given'possibility'of'extreme'skew,'it'is'possible'that'some'critical' parts'of'woman's'
brain'built'entirely'by'one'parent's'genes
Can'explain'close'emotional'bond'that'grows'over'time'between'daughters'and'
fathers'resulting'from'daughter's'mind'being'very'like'her'father's