This new understanding has pushed researchers to study it more closely, as it now appears to be an important part of how aging and disease develop in men.<\/p>\n How aging affects Y chromosome<\/p>\n As men grow older, some cells in the body<\/a> slowly lose the Y chromosome. For years, scientists thought this change did not matter much. <\/p>\n The Y chromosome has far fewer genes than other chromosomes, so many believed its loss would not affect overall health.<\/p>\n That idea is changing. New research shows that losing the Y chromosome may increase the risk of serious diseases and even shorten lifespan. This discovery has made scientists look more closely at how aging affects the male body at a genetic level<\/a>.<\/p>\n Y chromosome loss is widespread<\/p>\n Modern genetic tools have helped researchers study this process in detail. Results show that Y chromosome loss is quite common in older men. Around 40 percent of men in their 60s show some loss. This number rises to about 57 percent by age of 90.<\/p>\n This loss does not happen in every cell. Instead, the body ends up with a mix of normal cells and cells without the Y chromosome. <\/p>\n Scientists call this condition mosaicism. Once a cell loses the Y chromosome, all new cells made from it also lack the chromosome.<\/p>\n Lifestyle factors can also increase the chances of this loss. Smoking and exposure to harmful chemicals<\/a> can raise the risk. Cells that divide quickly are more likely to lose the Y chromosome because errors can occur during cell division.<\/p>\n Small chromosome, big impact<\/p>\n The Y chromosome is small compared to others. It has only about 51 protein-coding genes, while other chromosomes have thousands. Because of this, scientists once believed it only helped with male development and sperm production.<\/p>\n Studies have shown that cells can survive without the Y chromosome. In some animals<\/a>, the Y chromosome even disappears over time. This made researchers think that losing it later in life would not cause problems.<\/p>\n Now, evidence suggests that even a small chromosome can have a big impact. The Y chromosome appears to play a role in many body systems, not just reproduction.<\/p>\n Links to major diseases<\/p>\n Recent studies connect Y chromosome loss with several serious health conditions. These include heart disease, brain disorders, and cancer. For example, men with more Y-deficient cells have a higher risk of heart attacks.<\/p>\n Research also links this loss to kidney disease and Alzheimer\u2019s disease. It may even help explain why men often have worse outcomes from COVID-19 infections.<\/p>\n Cancer studies show similar patterns. Many cancer cells lack the Y chromosome. Patients with this loss often have poorer survival rates. Scientists believe that losing the Y chromosome may make tumors<\/a> grow faster or become more aggressive.<\/p>\n What Y loss really means<\/p>\n One important question remains. Does losing the Y chromosome directly cause disease, or does it simply happen alongside it?<\/p>\n In some cases, illness may increase cell division, which raises the chance of losing the chromosome. Genetics also plays a role. <\/p>\n About one-third of the variation in Y chromosome loss comes from inherited factors linked to cell growth and cancer risk.<\/p>\n However, experiments suggest a direct effect as well. In one study, mice given Y-deficient blood cells developed age-related problems like weak heart function. This finding suggests that losing the Y chromosome may actively contribute to disease.<\/p>\n Impact of Y chromosome in men<\/p>\n Scientists now believe the Y chromosome has more functions than expected. One important gene, called SRY, works in many parts of the body, including the brain. It has been linked to conditions like Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n Some genes on the Y chromosome help control how other genes work. Others act as tumor suppressors, which means they help stop cancer from growing. When cells lose the Y chromosome, this protection may weaken.<\/p>\n The Y chromosome also contains non-coding genes<\/a>. These genes do not make proteins but still influence how other genes behave.<\/p>\n This may explain why losing the Y chromosome affects many systems in the body, including the immune system and heart function.<\/p>\n Y chromosome research continues<\/p>\n The Y chromosome was fully mapped only recently. Researchers are still learning how it works and why its loss has such strong effects on health.<\/p>\n Future studies may help doctors understand disease risks better and develop new treatments. This research could also explain why men and women experience some diseases differently.<\/p>\n A tiny chromosome once seemed unimportant. Now, it is becoming clear that it may hold important clues about how long people live.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.<\/p>\n Check us out on EarthSnap<\/a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls<\/a> and Earth.com.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Small changes inside the body can have big effects over time. Scientists now believe the Y chromosome, found…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":555803,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[49,48,66],"class_list":["post-555802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=555802"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555802\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/555803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=555802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=555802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=555802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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