Homework 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Homework 3 - Essay Example The physical stimulus of temperature is transduced in the development so as to modulate the expression of the genes coding for steroid genic enzymes and sex steroid hormone receptors. In the temperature dependent sex determination, every individual possesses an equal ability of becoming either male or female. Temperature triggers the activation of one sex-determining cascade. Temperature dependent sex determination is an evolutionary precursor to the genotype sex-determining mechanisms, mainly characteristic of birds and mammals (Becker 249). Exogenous estrogens are used in embryos for the production of females at temperatures that produce only males. On the other hand, an aromatase inhibitor is administered to produce males at temperatures that produce only females. Aromatase is administered since it is the key enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens (Valenzuela & Lance 211-227). In the temperature dependent sex determination, temperature is the regulatory factor that determines the sex of the organisms. It is during the incubation period that the temperature is controlled in favor of the desired sex. The method has proved to be efficient form of environmental sex determination