Ask Ms. Jessica #56 – Mutations and Hormone Insensitivity Disorders Just now

All questions for Ask Ms. Jessica are asked by real fans and patrons. If you have a question for Ms. Jessica, please send it to AskMsJessica@gmail.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello Ms. Jessica; So, this is a very oddly specific question, but how does mutation interact with hormone insensitivity disorders? Say you have a person with XY chromosomes with androgen insensitivity, they look outwardly female and have the mutant gene, but again -- chromosomally, they are male. What happens then? And then there's the opposite possibility -- estrogen insensitivity on somebody with XX chromosomes, who has the mutant gene. What kind of effect does this have on them? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a very good question, and a very common misunderstanding when it comes to mutant genetics. The Mutant Gene is, in fact, not stored in the pair of chromosomes responsible for your biological sex. It is a completely separate, actually stored on chromosome 2, the second largest chromosome in the human genetic sequence. This is also why it can be hard to detect and why even if you have it, it can sometimes not be expressed. Rather, it seems to be a matter of body, hormone, and brain chemistry that causes epigenetic expression of the mutant gene. So if a person with XY chromosomes with androgen insensitivity that looks and presents outwardly female but is genetically male would have about as much chance to mutate as any other female. This is also why trans women have the exact same chance of mutation as cis women, with a bit of statistical wiggle room depending on where they are in their transition, and if they have chosen to transition at all. Similarly, someone with XX chromosomes but with estrogen insensitivity will have reduced chances to mutate, though not quite as low as one who is biologically male presenting male. This has led us to the theory that it is not merely estrogen and testosterone that trigger or inhibit mutation but rather a complex dance of chemicals and body chemistry that these hormones only contribute to.