Women who were known to be carriers (heterozygous) of the x-linked, recessive, hemophilia gene were studied in order to determine the amount of time required for the blood clotting reaction. it was found that the time required for clotting was extremely variable from individual to individual. the values obtained ranged from normal clotting time at one extreme all the way to clinical hemophilia at the other extreme. what is the most probable explanation for these findings?

Hemophilia is a condition in which a person´s blood loses its capacity to coagulate, when it is necessary. This condition happens because of a genetic alteration in which the X chromosome, provided either by the mother, or both parents, possesses the recessive trait, wich affects the correct funtion of a gene known as FVIII. It is this gene which will activate the production of Factor VIII, basic for platelet cohesion, and one of the first steps in the coagulation cascade.

Hemophilia affects mostly males, given that the X chromosome of the mother is dominant. But in females, it is rare, and it takes the inheritance of the trait from the X chromosomes of both parents. However, there are cases in which females can inherit the trait from one of the parents, and they will not have hemophilia, but will present coagulation responses that are less rapid, than those who do not sport any mutation in their genetic coding. It is this reason given above that would explain why there have been cases in which it has been found that women have not just had slow coagulation response times, but have actually presented symptoms of clinical hemophilia.

picture a world where computers are building made-to-order personalized robotic arms and synthetic organs, drones are circulating above mars! due to the rapid growth of technology, the future has never been more unpredictable, and it presents a huge challenge in education: we are teaching students how to work in a future that we have never been unsure of. it is widely predicted that in eight years’ time, there will be more jobs in the fields of science, mathematics, technology and engineering than in any other discipline. and, as the technology continues to develop, it will soon become clear that addressing social problems will involve more innovative thinking, and analytical and technical knowledge than ever before. undeniably, there are no subjects that encourage innovative and creative thinking, deep thought, problem solving and independence more than the stem subjects. while it is widely commented on that there is a need to reimagine the ways stem subjects are taught in schools by embracing a more interactive and innovative approach to appeal to more students, it should come as no surprise that some of the most reputable educational organizations in the world are already implementing changes to embrace stem. harvard, for example, announced in 2014 that they were increasing their computer science faculty by over 50% and has since introduced computer science as a core subject for all freshmen. the urgency of supporting stem subjects at a young age is becoming more relevant than ever, as adopting a keen interest in the curricula needs to happen early. however, beyond the age issue is one of gender.

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