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That headline certainly grabbed my attention. Did it grab yours? The Science Daily headline seems to be overstating the case a tad, as news headlines often do. What the original article seems to be about is gene expression as related to phenotypic sex and independent of chromosomal sex. Specifically, the role of androgens in genital development studied in XY AIS (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome) and non-AIS individuals.
It has nothing to do with testing to identify a person's gender. However, it is interesting to learn more about the particulars of human development. I was going to say something like 'which aspects of development are determined by genes and which by hormones' but, as I understand it, genes call for hormones and hormones trigger genes so it is not quite so clear cut. In this case, I think the difference is between the effects of a Y chromosome with the aid of androgens and the effect on development of a Y chromosome without androgens.
It has nothing to do with testing to identify a person's gender. However, it is interesting to learn more about the particulars of human development. I was going to say something like 'which aspects of development are determined by genes and which by hormones' but, as I understand it, genes call for hormones and hormones trigger genes so it is not quite so clear cut. In this case, I think the difference is between the effects of a Y chromosome with the aid of androgens and the effect on development of a Y chromosome without androgens.
