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androgen insensitivity syndrome

noun

Definition of androgen insensitivity syndrome

: a genetic disorder that causes complete or partial insensitivity to androgens in the body

Note: A person affected with androgen insensitivity syndrome has the physical appearance of a female and the X and Y chromosomes of a male with external genitalia that are female or ambiguous, no uterus, and usually normal but undescended testes. Androgen insensitivity syndrome is inherited as an X-linked recessive trait requiring that only one parent pass on a copy of the defective gene on an X chromosome to male offspring.

— called also testicular feminization, testicular feminization syndrome

Examples of androgen insensitivity syndrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 She was born with androgen insensitivity syndrome, a condition that caused her to have external female anatomy and, internally, undescended testes instead of a uterus. — Diane Stopyra, Marie Claire, "Dear Parents-to-Be: Stop Celebrating Your Baby's Gender," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'androgen insensitivity syndrome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of androgen insensitivity syndrome

1969, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for androgen insensitivity syndrome

androgen insensitivity syndrome

noun

Medical Definition of androgen insensitivity syndrome

: a genetic disorder that causes complete or partial insensitivity to androgens in the body

Note: A person affected with androgen insensitivity syndrome has the physical appearance of a female and the X and Y chromosomes of a male with external genitalia that are female or ambiguous, no uterus, and usually normal but undescended testes. Androgen insensitivity syndrome is inherited as an X-linked recessive trait requiring that only one parent pass on a copy of the defective gene on an X chromosome to male offspring.

If a chromosomally male embryo has androgen-insensitivity syndrome, … the cells' receptors for testosterone, an androgen, are deaf to the testosterone's instructions, and will thus develop the default external sexual characteristics of a female.— Ariel Levy, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2009

— called also testicular feminization, testicular feminization syndrome

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