Surprise: Men and Women Greatly Differ Genetically
An article in New Scientist titled “Sex Differences in Human Gene Expression” concluded that “Researchers uncover thousands of genes whose activity varies between men and women.”[1] Specifically, their study found 6,500 genes were differentially expressed. They concluded that men and women are distinctly dimorphic, consequently one result of this fact is that they have very dissimilar disease susceptibilities.[2] The sexual dimorphic traits result mainly from differential expression of the genes that exist in both sexes. These results strongly go against the current politically correct view that the only differences between males and females are a few minor plumbing variations and a couple of small hormones.
Two researchers, Shmuel Pietrokovski and Moran Gershoni, evaluated organ-, tissue-, and individual-specific gene expression from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTex) Portal data base. Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science produced a comprehensive genetic map of the genes that are differentially expressed in men and women.[3]
This was not the first research in this area. One study found that mutations likely accumulated in genes that produced sperm because these mutations were expressed only in men. As a result, harmful mutations that cause health problems or death in only half of the population are passed on by women who have no sign of the mutation. The result is even further evidence for the accumulation of deleterious mutations that leads to mutational meltdown, the exact opposite that is required for Darwinian evolution. Evolution is thus true, but going backwards.
To explore if other genes were differentially expressed, Pietrokovski and Gershoni examined close to 20,000 protein-coding genes. Of these, around 6,500 were expressed more in one sex than the other. They found removal of these genes by death or reduced fecundity was lower in these genes, thus these gene were more likely to be passed on to the next generation, resulting the accumulation of deleterious mutations.[4]
The study is just one example of the latest research that emphasizes the many genetic differences between males and females. More surprising is the same sexual differences that have been found in animals. Kathleen Gardiner, a neuroscientist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, found evidence of brain region sex differences in mice.[5] Other studies have documented that sex differences in mice exist that can affect cardiovascular health, liver disease, and even cancer risk. These and many other studies were published in the Journal of Biology of Sex Differences.
The study is just one example of the latest research that emphasizes the many genetic differences between males and females.
Researchers studying pigeons determined that the sexes showed notably different gene expression patterns.[6] The researchers found hundreds of examples of differential patterns of gene expression in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonads, and, if they had looked at every body structure, presumably they would have found hundreds more differences.
These differences may be due to, or in addition to, differences caused by genomic imprinting, the epigenetic silencing that allows certain genes to be expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner. Also, an allele on the Y chromosome inherited from the father causes sexually selective imprinting, silencing hundreds of genes. As a result, only the allele from the mother is expressed. Epigenetic silencing involves DNA and histone methylation, attaching a methyl (CH3) group, to block expression of the gene without altering the genetic sequence. Likewise, the Xist (X-inactive specific transcript), a gene located on the X chromosome in placental mammals is a major effector of the X inactivation process, creating even more genetic differences.
Update from Editor 5/10/17: Science Daily mentioned the Weizmann report on May 4. On May 9, a WND Exclusive report offered more “proof that a man can never become a woman.” The report includes multiple stories of transgender males outcompeting true biological women in sports. “A biological male can take hormones, surgically alter his body and identify as ‘female,’ but the procedures still won’t make him a woman, according to new evidence found by Israeli researchers,” the report begins. “That’s because there are at least 6,500 genes that contain sex-specific instructions for males and females.” President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University Dr. Everett Piper notes that the transgender craze invading our culture is actually anti-woman and anti-feminist, because it pretends womanhood is unreal. If anyone can claim to be a man one day and a woman the next, that’s tantamount to denying the very existence of the female. Feminists should be outraged.
[1] Akst, Jef. 2017. Sex Differences in Human Gene Expression. The Scientist. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/49347/title/Sex-Differences-in-Human-Gene-Expression/
[2] Gershoni, Moran and Shmuel Pietrokovski. 2017. The landscape of sex-differential transcriptome and its consequent selection in human adults. BMC Biology. 15(7):1-15
[3] https://www.gtexportal.org/home/
[4] Weizmann Wonder Wander May 3, 2017. http://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/researchers-identify-6500-genes-are-expressed-differently-men-and-women.
[5] Krisch, Joshua A. 2017. How Much Do Sex Differences Matter in Mouse Studies? February, 24. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/48616/title/How-Much-Do-Sex-Differences-Matter-in-Mouse-Studies-/
[6] https://www.nature.com/articles/srep45125.
Dr. Jerry Bergman is a professor, author and speaker.
Men and women are different in many major ways and the politically correct movement cannot change that fact. Every scientific test we have performed has documented this fact and now we know that many of these differences have a genetic basis.