Chapter 16, Problem 2QC

Summary Introduction

To review:

The choice of a couple of selecting the gender of their child by methods that help in the selectively choosing the gender.

Introduction:

Advances in technology have now made it possible for people to select the gender of their child. The methods include sperm sorting and the preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

In sperm sorting, a sperm sample is collected from the father. Some of these sperms would contain an X chromosome while others would contain a Y chromosome. The X and Y chromosome containing sperm are separated using a technique called flow cytometry in which the intensity of fluorescence is detected. The sperms are sorted into two populations: male enriched and female-enriched. The gender of choice is then artificially inseminated into the female. The rate of success for a female child is 91% whereas for a male child it is 74%.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis uses a different approach and allows for 100% certainty of the gender selected. It involves collecting sperm as well as eggs from the parents and mixing them together. The early stage embryos that are formed are then tested for the presence or absence of the Y chromosome which allows us to distinguish the male from the female embryos. The selected gender embryo is then implanted back into the mother and allowed to develop.