What are you, woman or man?

2004/08/22 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Genetika
• Anatomia/Fisiologia
• Osasuna

At the Olympic Games and major sporting events, this question is not rare. Among the participants in the women's tests, there are often athletes who raise doubts. And it is that to some the physical appearance does not help them much: they are muscular, they do not highlight the ceilings and they have hips as narrow as a young boy. Also, it would not be the first time a man participates in female tests.

An example is the Polish Stanislawa Walasiewics. This sportsman emigrated to the United States, where he was called Stella Walls. In the 1932 Games he won the gold medal in the 100m race and silver in 1936. He was also the first to travel this distance in less than 11 seconds. He was shot dead in 1980 and after the autopsy they realized he was a man in reality.

Emission controls

To avoid them, emission controls were established at the Olympic Games. In these controls the participants had to verify that they were women so that no one had any advantages over others. Ewa Klobukowska, also a Polish, was the first to reject these controls. Previously, in 1964 he won the gold medal in the relay race and the bronze medal in the 100m race.

On the other hand, the two Soviet sisters decided to abandon the competition just when empericity controls were established. The first was Tamara Press, with two gold medals, won at the weight launch in 1960 and shot in 1964. Sister Irina also had two gold medals, as in 1960 she won the first place of the pentathlons in the 80 m barrier race.

In the 1960s, direct observations were made to check sex, but many athletes complained because it seemed like an offensive test. In addition, male athletes could eliminate external characteristics through surgical operations.

Therefore, from the winter games of Grenoble began to carry out a simple chromosomal study. To detect the XX chromosomes, cells were taken from the oral mucosa and observed whether they were women or not. The result of this test was doubtful and only in cases was gynecological examination used. Genetic DNA studies were implemented in 1992.

However, sex accreditation tests have always been discussed, as the results are not always clear. For example, in XX chromosome screening tests, those with a single X chromosome had a negative result and, although they had no advantage over other women, they lost the right to participate. The opposite may also occur: A man with XXY chromosomes could participate in female tests for having two X.

But... can that happen? Can you have an X or an XXY? Are sexual chromosomes not always XX or XY?

Not so simple

For his easy explanation, man has 23 pairs of chromosomes and one defines sex. This pair of chromosomes has two options: XX or XY. The pair XX is female and the XY male. It's not difficult, isn't it?

Eggs and sperm are formed by separating pairs of chromosomes. In women all eggs have an X chromosome. In men, half of the sperm are X chromosomes and the rest are Y. Thus, when the egg and sperm come together, the sperm decides whether the child to form will be female or male: if the sperm carries X, it will be born XX, female, and if it carries Y, XY, ar.

However, as mentioned above, the issue is not so simple, and just as in other pairs of chromosomes errors occur, they also occur along with the sexual chromosome. For example, in the case of Down syndrome, at chromosome 21 there are three chromosomes instead of two. Sometimes there are no two chromosomes at the height that defines sex, there may be one, three, four and even five. One in a thousand women has XXX chromosomes (Trisomy X) and one in a thousand men has XXY (Klinefelter Syndrome).

In addition, although with two chromosomes and chromosomes they send a sex, the external characteristics can be inverse. Therefore, a person who considers himself a woman, despite the big breasts and joy, may have XY chromosomes, and if a genetic study is not done, he will not have knowledge of it.

Faced with the confusion of the matter, before the 2000 Games sex accreditation tests were suspended. It was decided that illegal advantages could be detected in doping controls.

In addition, in the Athens Games, for the first time, transsexuals will have the right to participate, provided that at least two years have elapsed since sexual change, they have undergone hormonal treatment and the change is legally recognized. Be the chromosomes, make the best!

Published in 7K.