GYNANDROMORPHS

About: 

• Meaning: Gynander or gynandromorphs are the organisms showing both female and male characteristics. The term is derived from the Greek words (gyne = woman; aner = man and morphe = form). 
  
  
• Occurrence: These organisms are found in variety of species ranging from butterflies to chickens to lobsters but are most notable in butterflies, moths and other insects. 
  
  
• Types: Depending upon the position of sex tissue, the gynanders may be of the following types: 
  • Bilateral Gynanders: Sometimes one half of the body shows female characters while other half shows male characters. 
    
    
  • Anterior-Posterior Gynanders: In such gynanders anterior region of the animal body has the characteristics of one sex and posterior half region has the characteristics of the other sex. 
    
    
  • Sex Piebalds: In these gynandromorphs the body consists of female tissue having spots of male tissue scattered irregularly. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Reasons: Gynandromorphs occur naturally, usually resulting from a random genetic error. How gynandromorphs are born at all still remains a mystery. 
  
  
• Significance: According to researchers the study of gynandromorphs could offer clues as to why some human diseases strike one gender more than the other. Obesity, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer’s, even ageing differs by sex.