UN SDG
Livestock Studies 2002, Vol 42, Num, 2     (Pages: 065-073)
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Alteration of the Sex Ratio In Mammals

İlker SERİN 1

1 Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi, Veteriner Fakültesi, Doğum ve Reprodüksiyon Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Aydın - In mammals, the male having an X- and a Y-chromosome (XY) and the female a complement of two Xchromosomes in each diploid cell (XX). During late spermatogenesis, the germ cells undergo a final meiotic division, resulting in spermatids containing only half of the original genetic complement. As a result of this event, half of the spermatozoa contain a single Y and other half a single X chromosome. The genetic sex is determined in the oviduct at the time of fertilization and the sex of the offspring is determined by the sex chromosome within the spermatozoa.

Any method influencing the sex ratio would be a strong stimulus to genetic progress in animal husbandry. The most elegant method of achieving such an alteration is the separate spermatozoa into X- and Y-chromosome bearing fractions. This has been attempted by exploiting differences in mass, motility, surface charge, DNA content and surface antigenic structure between X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa. Keywords : Semen, sex preselection, X and Y spermatozoa