Scientists have made significant progress in understanding the human genome by deciphering the mysterious Y chromosome found in males, a breakthrough that could guide research related to male infertility. Researchers unveiled the first complete sequence of the Y chromosome on Wednesday, which is one of the two sex-determining chromosomes; the other is the X chromosome. The Y chromosome is transmitted exclusively from father to male offspring. Males carry one Y chromosome and one X chromosome, while females have a pair of X chromosomes, with some exceptions.
The genes in the Y chromosome help regulate critical reproductive functions, including sperm production, and also play a role in genetic predisposition to cancer and its severity. However, this chromosome has proven difficult to identify due to its extraordinarily complex structure. Karen Miga, a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of California, stated, "This provides the first complete insight into the Y chromosome code, revealing more than 50% of the length of the chromosome that was missing in previous human genome maps."
Twenty years after the Human Genome Project was declared complete, the Y chromosome has now been fully sequenced for the first time.
