Testicular time bomb

• Autores: Michael Le Page
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 2957, 2014, págs. 46-49
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Le Page examines the consequences of having a cancer-like process that churns out mutant sperm in the testicles. These mutations cause stem cells in the testicles to divide abnormally, resulting in an increasing proportion of mutant sperm as men age and an ever growing chance of a mutant sperm fertilizing an egg. These mutations have recently been tied to a handful of rare conditions but they may play a role in a range of far more common disorders, including autism and schizophrenia. It could explain why such disorders are so common--and why they might become commoner still in cultures in which men delay fatherhood until their 30s, 40s or later. And yet it's not all bad news. Similar mutations may also boost brain-cell division, so it's possible the same process played a key role in the evolution of man's big brain.