{"id":17154,"date":"2020-10-06T01:14:32","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T08:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/politicalhat.com\/?p=17154"},"modified":"2020-10-06T01:14:32","modified_gmt":"2020-10-06T08:14:32","slug":"bad-biologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/2020\/10\/06\/bad-biologist\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad Biologist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10782\" src=\"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Sex-Determination.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Sex-Determination.jpg 320w, https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Sex-Determination-300x285.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A jellyfish expert has decided to <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/UpgQB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">totes discombobulate<\/a> \u00fee olde \u201csexual binary\u201d by \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/threadreaderapp.com\/thread\/1207834357639139328.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">proving<\/a>\u201d that there aren\u2019t just two sexes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This was so begging for a fisking, your humble author could only acquiesce.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14179\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14179\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14179\" src=\"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/zoot-dingo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"346\" srcset=\"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/zoot-dingo.png 500w, https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/zoot-dingo-300x208.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14179\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fisking! A fisking!<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IFriendly neighborhood biologist here. I see a lot of people are talking about biological sexes and gender right now. Lots of folks make biological sex sex seem really simple. Well, since it\u2019s so simple, let\u2019s find the biological roots, shall we? Let\u2019s talk about sex&#8230;[a thread]<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207834357639139328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<em>Argumentum ad verecundiam<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">If you know a bit about biology you will probably say that biological sex is caused by chromosomes, XX and you\u2019re female, XY and you\u2019re male. This is \u201cchromosomal sex\u201d but is it \u201cbiological sex\u201d? Well&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207835110617309191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the absence of a certifiable medical disease or syndrome, yes, yes it is.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">ITurns out there is only ONE GENE on the Y chromosome that really matters to sex. It\u2019s called the SRY gene. During human embryonic development the SRY protein turns on male-associated genes. Having an SRY gene makes you \u201cgenetically male\u201d. But is this \u201cbiological sex\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207835384358604802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is <a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2020-09-male-chromosome-thought.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">literally not true<\/a>. The nature of the Y-chromosome is far more complex than that.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">ISometimes that SRY gene pops off the Y chromosome and over to an X chromosome. Surprise! So now you\u2019ve got an X with an SRY and a Y without an SRY. What does this mean?<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207835597206937600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It means that one with such a conditions has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology\/xx-male-syndrome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">De la Chapelle syndrome<\/a>, which typically involves a rash of medical problems including sterility.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IA Y with no SRY means physically you\u2019re female, chromosomally you\u2019re male (XY) and genetically you\u2019re female (no SRY). An X with an SRY means you\u2019re physically male, chromsomally female (XX) and genetically male (SRY). But biological sex is simple! There must be another answer&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207835815071473664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It means that one with such a conditions has <a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/genetics\/condition\/swyer-syndrome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Swyer syndrome<\/a>, which also involves other such complications. It does not make you a physically male like a fully functioning Y-chromosome does.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">ISex-related genes ultimately turn on hormones in specifics areas on the body, and reception of those hormones by cells throughout the body. Is this the root of \u201cbiological sex\u201d??<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207835999130259456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The presence of a Y-chromosome steers fetal development towards a functional biological male who can \u00a0 produce sperm and impregnate a functional biological female who wasn\u2019t so steered and who produces eggs and gestates the offspring for <em>ca<\/em> 9 months.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><!--more-->&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It\u2019s really not that complicated.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">I\u201cHormonal male\u201d means you produce \u2018normal\u2019 levels of male-associated hormones. Except some percentage of females will have higher levels of \u2018male\u2019 hormones than some percentage of males. Ditto ditto \u2018female\u2019 hormones. And&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207836201090211840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hormonal levels and other physical and physiological differences can and do vary, but they are variations around the aspects of two different sexes. That on some measure there is statistical overlap does not change this.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">I&#8230;if you\u2019re developing, your body may not produce enough hormones for your genetic sex. Leading you to be genetically male or female, chromosomally male or female, hormonally non-binary, and physically non-binary. Well, except cells have something to say about this&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207836364512866304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Not \u201chormonally non-binary\u201d but an outlier for one\u2019s sex. There are medical conditions, too, that can cause this.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IMaybe cells are the answer to \u201cbiological sex\u201d?? Right?? Cells have receptors that \u201chear\u201d the signal from sex hormones. But sometimes those receptors don\u2019t work. Like a mobile phone that\u2019s on \u201cdo not disturb\u2019. Call and cell, they will not answer.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207836727114686469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet again, when this happens, it means that a person has a identifiable medical condition, not that they are on some normal spectrum of traits.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IWhat does this all mean?<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207837155667718145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That this biology professor should stick to jellyfish?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IIt means you may be genetically male or female, chromosomally male or female, hormonally male\/female\/non-binary, with cells that may or may not hear the male\/female\/non-binary call, and all this leading to a body that can be male\/non-binary\/female.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207838570276372480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No it means that you developed into a male or female based upon the presence or of Y-chromosome or a second X-chromosome in the chromosomal pair, or you have a medical condition with typically many other medical problem, often including infertility.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IIt means you may be genetically male or female, chromosomally male or female, hormonally male\/female\/non-binary, with cells that may or may not hear the male\/female\/non-binary call, and all this leading to a body that can be male\/non-binary\/female.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207838570276372480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That was the point in this exercise, wasn\u2019t it, to confuse people.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IOf course you could try appealing to the numbers. \u201cMost people are either male or female\u201d you say. Except that as a biologist professor I will tell you&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207838924263084033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That\u2019s because most people don\u2019t have medical conditions that mess up their development into living creatures capable of reproducing by sexual congress with someone of the opposite sex.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IThe reason I don\u2019t have my students look at their own chromosome in class is because people could learn that their chromosomal sex doesn\u2019t match their physical sex, and learning that in the middle of a 10-point assignment is JUST NOT THE TIME.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207839452619522048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Heaven forbid people learn of having medical conditions that can impact their life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">IBiological sex is complicated. Before you discriminate against someone on the basis of \u201cbiological sex\u201d &amp; identity, ask yourself: have you seen YOUR chromosomes? Do you know the genes of the people you love? The hormones of the people you work with? The state of their cells?<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207839986801922048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Someone having an authentic medical condition should not be discriminated against legally or socially, but ought to be allowed to fit in as they are comfortable with. It does matter if one wants to become a couple with another and have children. But then most of the \u201ctrans\u201d movement isn\u2019t about biological sex, but \u201cgender identity\u201d, to which the intentional confusion of this line of reasoning is but a distraction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" align=\"center\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\" align=\"center\">ISince the answer will obviously be no, please be kind, respect people\u2019s right to tell you who they are, and remember that you don\u2019t have all the answers. Again: biology is complicated. Kindness and respect don\u2019t have to be. [end of thread]<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RebeccaRHelm\/status\/1207840701247053826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But I don\u2019t have to respect people when their opinion of who they are is not only in contrast with biological reality, but also being pushed on myself and on others in increasingly totalitarian ways.<\/p>\n<p><meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/><meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@PoliticHatBlog\" \/><meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ThePoliticalHat\" \/><meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Bad Biologist\"\/><meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"A jellyfish expert  has decided to totes discombobulate \u00fee olde 'sexual binary' by 'proving' that there aren't just two sexes.\" \/><meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Sex-Determination.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A jellyfish expert has decided to totes discombobulate \u00fee olde \u201csexual binary\u201d by \u201cproving\u201d that there aren\u2019t just two sexes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This was so begging for a fisking, your humble author could only acquiesce. IFriendly neighborhood biologist here. I see a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/2020\/10\/06\/bad-biologist\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,17],"tags":[77,22,55,25,86,48],"class_list":["post-17154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-progressives","tag-derp","tag-fail","tag-gender","tag-higher-ed","tag-science","tag-social-justice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17154"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17156,"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17154\/revisions\/17156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/impeachreno.org\/politicalhat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}