The ethical conduct of human gamete and embryo research depends upon conscientious application of principles of informed consent developed in the context of clinical research. This document explores these principles, which entail, for example, that investigations occur under Institutional Review Board oversight. This document also discusses the complexities in obtaining informed consent from th...

Theoretically, both balancing selection and genetic drift can contribute to the maintenance of gender polymorphism within and/or among populations. However, if strong differences exist among genotypes in the quantity of viable gametes they produce, then it is expected that these differences will play an important role in determining the relative frequency of the genotypes and contribute to whet...

Some stochastic theory is developed for monoecious populations of size N in which there are probabilities beta and 1 - beta of reproduction by selfing and by random mating. It is assumed that beta much greater than N-1. Expressions are derived for the inbreeding coefficient of one random individual and the coefficient of kinship of two random separate individuals at time t. The mean and between...

In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG) is almost exclusively discussed as a potential solution for people who have no (functional) gametes. However, IVG could also be seen an alternative standard IVF. Instead of submitting women to ovarian hyperstimulation and invasive oocyte pick-up, creation oocytes from stem cells should the first treatment option (assuming it reasonably safe effective). This applicat...

There are at least four conceivable factors which could be responsible for the maintenance of anisogamous sex: (1) long-term group selection, (2) short-term ecological, natural selection, (3) trade-offs between female sexual fertility and parthenogenetic fertility and (4) female dependence on a male gametic contribution. There is evidence for the action of each of the first three factors, while...

Natural selection influences not only gamete frequencies in populations but also the multilocus fitness structures associated with segregating gametes. In particular, only certain patterns of multilocus fitnesses are consistent with the maintenance of stable multilocus polymorphisms. This paper offers support for the proposition that, at stable, viability-maintained, multilocus polymorphisms, t...

Recall Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment, which states that allele pairs from different loci separate independently during the formation of gametes. For example if we have a population of individuals such that at a given locus we find 80% A and 20% G, while at a second locus of interest we find 50% C and 50% T, then independent assortment would imply that the corresponding haplotype freque...