In my introductory genetics class at Clemson University in my lecture on chromosomes and sex inheritance, I would sometime close with this little question. This was also after I had covered genetic mutations and how, when it came to human, or mammals for that matter, even small aberrations were usually devastating, much less changes in chromosome numbers. I’ll point out, for example, trisomy 21 which results in mongolism. This means that there is an extra copy of the 21st chromosome, a fairly small chromosome at that.
Now, when it comes to determining the sex of each individual, in humans and mammals in general, it is the Y-chromosome that determines the whether someone is a male or female. In the developmental sequence we would all be females. If an individual has a Y chromosome however, this developmental program is switched. Think of a train barreling down a railroad track and the Y like a switch to a different track for that train. This is what happens. The ordinary female developmental sequence is switched to become male when the Y is present. If it is not present, then the individual continues down the track and becomes a female. Which leads me to virgin births mythology…
For humans, someone that was born from a “virgin birth”, which would mean they only had their mother’s DNA/chromosomes. They would have no Y. Consequently, if Jesus was the result of such a birth, “she” would have been a female, a parthenogenetic clone of his mother Mary.
Now, parthenogenesis is known in fish, amphibians, reptiles, but to my knowledge, no mammals, prior to our ability to do recombinant DNA and genetic cloning, e.g. Dolly the sheep, who didn’t do so well by the way. In nature in mammals, I do not know of any cases of verified parthenogenesis. I am familiar for it in fish, the desert pupfish or Amazon mollies to be exact. They are all females. Back to our virgin birth and God’s DNA question.
Where did Jesus get his Y chromosomes, much less the full compliment of all the other chromosomes that are required? If he didn’t have these then he certainly wasn’t human. So, you say, well Jesus’ Y chromosome (and other) came from God.
So, does that mean God has DNA? If so, if we could find but a single cell of Jesus’, a single hair, we could clone God! If we could clone him, we could then use the Crisper technique so that we all could become gods. What a pickle, no? My “sermon” for this Sunday morning.
Yes, I’m pokin’ the bear here. 🙂