Atypical Sex Chromosome Patterns (Gender)

Question 1

Turner’s syndrome characteristics

Answer 1

Only occurs in females

Physical:
- Webbed neck
- Shield shaped chest
- Underdeveloped ovaries (no periods and often infertility)
- No/Limited breast development

Psychological:
- Higher than avg reading ability
- Poor spatial, visual and mathematical ability
- Socially immature - hard to make friends

Question 2

Turner’s syndrome def

Answer 2

Only in females
- 1 in 2000
Missing other X chromosome (not usual female XX) so their chromosome pattern is XO.

Question 3

Klinefelter’s syndrome def

Answer 3

Only in males
- 1 in 660

They have an extra X chromosome. So their pattern is XXY instead of XY

Question 4

Klinefelter’s characteristics

Answer 4

Physical:
- Small infertile testes
- Enlarged breasts (as a result of low testosterone before birth and during puberty)

Psychological:
- Lower than average reading ability and poor language skills
- Shy, low confidence (low test)
- low energy levels (low test)

Question 5

Strength of research into atypical sex chromosome patterns

Answer 5

Allows for a greater understanding of KS and TS which therefore allows for more accurate diagnosis’

Quigley(2014) gave females with TS oestrogen supplements between ages 5-12 and they showed increased breast development.
This shows the physical benefits of early intervention.

Similar results were found by Herlihy(2011) in 87 individuals with Ks

Question 6

Issue with research of TS and KS

Answer 6

Research is only correlational and not causal.

Possible as a result of their condition they have been treated differently (environmental and social influences) and this is the reason for their differences in behaviour instead of biological reasons.

Eg Girls with TS are smaller, so people treat them as more immature, which makes them act more immature.