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Comment by klipt | Hacker News Reader

It might also allow lesbian couples to conceive using only their own DNA, if this technology isn't limited to male genes.

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You'd still need the Y-chromosome. While not as big as the others, it does contain some genetic material.

Not if they want a daughter.

and it follows then that women will be able to carry their own clones too..

So if lesbians could reproduce...and they could only have daughters...and if it turns out there's a genetic predisposition towards lesbianism...

This is probably a completely ridiculous idea, but I wonder if men might someday be weeded out by "natural" selection.

Why? Male couples should be able to reproduce in the same way --- given enough money to rent out a womb (or the technology to create one). As an added bonus they can also create females.

Some of his early work led to stories about “an end to men”, enabling lesbian couples to have their own biological children without male involvement but, according to Prof Nayernia, these were based on a “misunderstanding”.

“IVD sperm can only be produced from stem cells with male [XY] chromosomes,” he said. “Stem cells with female [XX] chromosomes can be prompted to form early-stage sperm but do not progress further. This demonstrates that the genes on a Y chromosome are essential for meiosis and sperm maturation.”

From: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1f16dfe8-6b2f-11de-861d-00144feabd...

"news.ychromasome.com. While not as big as the others, it does contain some material"?

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