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Cross-Dressing or Crossing-Over?

Sex Testing of Women Athletes

By Maureen Knabb, Joan Sharp

Cross-Dressing or Crossing-Over?


 

Abstract

In this “clicker case,” students learn about sex determination, meiosis, and chromosomal “crossing over” through the story of Santhi Soundararajan, an athlete from Kathakkurichi, India, who was stripped of a medal at the 2006 Asian Games after failing to pass a sex test. The case is called a clicker case because it combines the use of student personal response systems (clickers) with case teaching methods and formats. The case itself is a PowerPoint presentation (~2 MB) shown in class that is punctuated by questions students respond to using their clickers. It can be adapted for use without these technologies. Developed for an introductory biology class for both majors and non-majors, the case could also be used in an anatomy and physiology course or an endocrinology course.

   

Date Posted

09/09/2008

Overview

Objectives

  • Explain the basis of sex determination in mammals.
  • Describe the sources of variation in daughter cells produced by meiosis.
  • Understand the role of the SRY gene in the determination of a human embryo as male.
  • Explain how human sex reversal (XX/SRY+ male; XY/SRY- female) may take place.

Keywords

Crossing-over; gametogenesis; gender testing; sex testing; meiosis; cell division; karyotype; sex determination; sex reversal; SRY gene; Santhi Soundararajan

  

Subject Headings

Biology (General)
Cell Biology
Physiology
Sports Science

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate lower division

  

FORMAT

PDF

   

TOPICAL AREAS

Legal issues, Social issues

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Clicker, Interrupted, Dilemma/Decision

 

 

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