Comments on: New Study Links Water Pollution to Smaller Penis Size in Otters http://inhabitat.com/new-study-links-water-pollution-to-smaller-penis-size-in-otters/ Green design & eco innovation for a better world Mon, 20 May 2013 06:38:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Bob Jensen http://inhabitat.com/new-study-links-water-pollution-to-smaller-penis-size-in-otters/comment-page-1/#comment-500639 Bob Jensen Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:25:29 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=486541#comment-500639 The phenomenon has already been seen in humans. Klinefelter Syndrome is the fastest growing genetic syndrome and occurs in 1 in 500 – 1,000 newborn males. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/klinefelter-syndrome ‘Affected individuals typically have small testes that do not produce as much testosterone as usual. Testosterone is the hormone that directs male sexual development before birth and during puberty. A shortage of testosterone can lead to delayed or incomplete puberty, breast enlargement (gynecomastia), reduced facial and body hair, and an inability to have biological children (infertility). Some affected individuals also have genital differences including undescended testes (cryptorchidism), the opening of the urethra on the underside of the penis (hypospadias), or an unusually small penis (micropenis)’. Klinefelter syndrome is not inherited and always caused by an extra X chromosome. About half the cases are caused by an XY sperm mutation and half the cases are caused by an XX egg mutation producing the XXY genotype. McCauliffe et al found that increasing levels of PCB congeners as measured in blood produced increased frequency of XY sperm in males recruited from a fertility clinic: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339457/ The phenomenon has already been seen in humans. Klinefelter Syndrome is the fastest growing genetic syndrome and occurs in 1 in 500 – 1,000 newborn males.

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/klinefelter-syndrome

‘Affected individuals typically have small testes that do not produce as much testosterone as usual. Testosterone is the hormone that directs male sexual development before birth and during puberty. A shortage of testosterone can lead to delayed or incomplete puberty, breast enlargement (gynecomastia), reduced facial and body hair, and an inability to have biological children (infertility). Some affected individuals also have genital differences including undescended testes (cryptorchidism), the opening of the urethra on the underside of the penis (hypospadias), or an unusually small penis (micropenis)’.

Klinefelter syndrome is not inherited and always caused by an extra X chromosome. About half the cases are caused by an XY sperm mutation and half the cases are caused by an XX egg mutation producing the XXY genotype.

McCauliffe et al found that increasing levels of PCB congeners as measured in blood produced increased frequency of XY sperm in males recruited from a fertility clinic:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339457/

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