The X in Sex: How the X Chromosome Controls Our Lives

The X in Sex: How the X Chromosome Controls our Lives

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Bainbridge champions the dominance of Y only to reveal that the X chromosome is a mysterious and powerful entity, controlling much more than just our sex. In a witty and lighthearted style, the author leads us along the evolutionary path of the science of sexuality, stopping along the way to divulge key discoveries in our understanding of why boys are boys and girls are girls. This is popular science in fine form — both entertaining and informative. The comprehensive approach to X-linked diseases such as Duschenne muscular dystrophy and color blindness, as well as the consequences of anomalous X and Y pairing — for example, women born with only one X or males born XXY — would benefit families facing such complex genetic diagnoses.

A fascinating look at twinning explains why female twins are less alike and less rare than male twins. Bainbridge also investigates a possible role for the X chromosome that may help explain why women are more likely than men to suffer from autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Beyond providing the traditional fare of transcription and translation, Bainbridge morphs with ease from biologist to historian, drawing on a wealth of material to highlight major genetic discoveries, while painting a rich philosophical and historical picture that brings into consideration not only the biological but the religious, cultural, and ethical implications of each advance.

At that time in history, no one could have predicted that the union of national powers via intermarriages within the European monarchy would result in the deaths and illnesses of kings and heirs and even play a part in the Russian Revolution. This is not to say that the Y chromosome is the less compelling of the pair. Bainbridge provides a prime example of science made amusing and accessible — a rare combination. Environmental Science Environmental Science: Beginners Bat Detecting Kit 2. Magenta Bat 5 Bat Detector 5.

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About this book A tiny scrap of genetic information determines our sex; it also consigns many of us to a life of disease, directs or disrupts the everyday working of our bodies, and forces women to live as genetic chimeras. Write a review There are currently no reviews for this book. Be the first to review this book!

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The X in sex: how the X chromosome controls our lives

Mar 06, Bev rated it liked it Shelves: First off, The X in Sex is a very accessible non-fiction book about the genetics that make us who we are sexually. It was interesting to the non-scientist and a very quick read. But I do have to say that I didn't learn nearly enough new material to make me feel like it had been absolutely worth my time.

David Bainbridge acts like he's bestowing never-before-mentioned news when he talks about X and Y chromosomes and sex-linked diseases. I'm 41 years old Even got our own little set all mixed up for us to sort and arrange in pairs and find out if we had a boy or a girl and if they had any odd things going on like and extra X or whatever.

Maybe I just had one of the most progressive science teachers ever Oddly enough, given the title of this book, the most informative bits that Bainbridge relates have to do with the Y chromosome. It's always been thought that just having the Y was enough to make you a boy But it is absolutely essential that you have a Y and a working Sry gene. Because the Sry gene is the switch that starts the chain of events that insures that the baby will be a boy. No Sry, no chain of other genes, no testicles Overall, I did not find the amount of information given about the X chromosome compelling enough to convince me that "she" is the controlling influence in our lives.

How the X Chromosome Controls Our Lives

When I picked up this book, I imagined finding evidence that sweet little X is sitting there inside our cells holding the remote control and sending out instructions hither and yon throughout our bodies to tell us what to do and how to behave. As I mentioned, this is a very accessible book for the non-scientist.

I think it would be an excellent book for someone who has very little or no knowledge whatsoever of chromosomes, genes, DNA, etc, and how they work. Bainbridge manages to talk about fairly complex topics in language the layman can understand and infuses his writing with humor. His humor is much better when it is unconscious or at least gives a better impression of being so. The more blatant, "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" sexual references and the anecdotes which are prefaced with "Let me tell you this funny little anecdote" aren't nearly as funny as he would seem to think.

The one exception is his anecdote about quite literally the Duke of Kent's testicles. I'm giving this one three stars--good solid read, some humorous bits, but nothing to knock my socks off. Jun 05, Terri Jacobson rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a book about the X chromosome, and I found it fascinating. The science is very well explained so that even a layman can understand it. I learned a tremendous amount reading this book. Some of the facts I learned: The author makes all This is a book about the X chromosome, and I found it fascinating.

The author makes all these facts come together in a lively narrative, with chapter titles such as "The Duke of Kent's Testicles". I have a better understanding of color blindness and muscular dystrophy.

Did you know that all colors can be made from a mixture of blue, green, and red, and there are specific receptors for these 3 colors in the eye? This is a book well worth reading. Mar 06, Vivian Sophia rated it liked it. Well written even amusing popularization of information consisting of two main explanations: How sex-based inheritance works, and how the deactivation of X chromosomes affects the female of the species. Definitely too elementary for anyone having any kind of training about genetics; but a good introduction to the genetic effects of our species' sexual reproductive strategy.

A short easy read. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Once again, it was chosen merely because it's title began excluding the word "The" with a letter I needed for my alphabet reading challenge. X is a tough one. But this was actually pretty good!

The X in sex: how the X chromosome controls our lives

The first chapter is awful, though. If you get this book, just skip right ahead to the second chapter. The first chapter is mainly the author trying to explain why he chose to study the X chromosome rather than the Y, and why the Y is just a shriveled withered thi I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

The first chapter is mainly the author trying to explain why he chose to study the X chromosome rather than the Y, and why the Y is just a shriveled withered thing or something close to that while the X is superior.

References

And why even though it seems like the Y gives us "maleness", it's pretty useless after that. Not only that but in the first chapter he says things like

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