Relationship between Sex and Temperature - Essay Example

Most species with temperature-dependent sex determination lack sex chromosomes and have little or no disposition to temperatures in specific ways. The physical stimulus of temperature is transduced in the development to modulate the expression of the genes coding for steroid genic enzymes and sex steroid hormone receptors. In temperature-dependent sex determination, every individual possesses an equal ability to become either male or female. Temperature triggers the activation of one sex-determining cascade. Temperature-dependent sex determination is an evolutionary precursor to the genotype sex-determining mechanisms, mainly characteristic of birds and mammals (Becker 249).
Exogenous estrogens are used in embryos to produce females at temperatures that make only males. On the other hand, an aromatase inhibitor is administered to produce males with only females at temperatures. Aromatase is issued since it is the critical enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens (Valenzuela & Lance 211-227).