On the (im)possibility of self-fertile human hermaphrodites

I recently read a rather unusual article, discussing the possibility that certain humans may be able to conceive and bear children completely on their own. The idea is that in certain rare cases, a person may have both an ovary and a testis, producing eggs and sperm, and that these may then form embryos that develop to babies.Hedonic EscalatorSome humans are both male and female“Potential autofertility in true hermaphrodites” by Istanbul urologist Zeki Bayraktar is among the most bizarre articles I have encountered in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Though the abstract and first few pages contain a secular discussion of intersex conditions, the paper abruptly pivots to an explanation for the birth of Jesus Christ. This theolo…Read morea day ago · 8 likes · Hedonic EscalatorAs a reproductive biologist, I’d like to give my perspective on why this is exceptionally unlikely and has probably never happened.A question of partsTo make an embryo, a sperm (from a testis) needs to encounter an…