Directions

For your Initial Post Follow the link to Primordial Journey Links to an external site.(33 min) & X&Y  Links to an external site.(42 min)

1. Listen to the both episodes, it is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes long
2. Hit the reply button, below and ask three questions based on the above episode of radiolab 
   • Questions should be open-ended and thoughtful
   • Questions are meant to facilitate critical thinking and discussion.

For your Response to at least 2 classmates due by : Sunday 

1. Ask for clarification (that is, ask questions) if needed.
2. Answer the question based on your own understanding of the subject matter

Peer reply 1

1.In the podcast they talked about SRY. The discovery of the SRY gene has implications for our understanding of gender and sexual identity. Can the influence of the SRY gene on sexual differentiation be changed in any way?

2. A lot of organisms can change their sex. I find this very interesting and would like to know more on how this whole process occurs to each type. In what ways is it beneficial to change your gender whenever you want? Do you think this is an advantage?

3. I find it quite interesting how it talks about how our grandkids are already somehow in our DNA. What do you are the background mechanisms that allow for this to be true?

Peer reply 2

In the Primordial Journey, they mentioned the doctor who was an OB-GYN in Turkey and wanted to go to the very beginning of life. Though controversial, when do you think is the beginning of life? Does life begin at conception (aka once the baby is out of the womb) or does it begin once the sperm enters the egg? Or maybe it starts when gonads develop?

Again, in the Primordial Journey, they mention the ‘germ cells,’ an important part for reproducing, as beginning in the trash, what is your theory for them to start out “in the trash?”

In the X & Y podcast, they mention how in the blue head fish when the male is taken away from the harem, whomever the largest female is will basically take on that role, and even grow testes and become male as to fit in that role. Taking into consideration the differences between gender and sex in humans, do you really think there is a difference after learning about this?