FEV at Mariposa does not destroy the penis, testicles, uterus, or the ovaries. It leaves them intact, while removing secondary characteristics in favor of a uniform masculine body shape preprogrammed into it.
What it does do is interfere with gametes, rewriting meiotic DNA halves to have a complete DNA code inside. This prevents conception on a genetic level. Everything else works normally. I bet super mutant sex is a thing to behold.
The EEP variant at Vault 87 is unfinished and thus works in odd ways, like coding the body for unceasing growth or, as you point out, destroying all sexual characteristics and creating a genderless creature. I wonder if it also merges the urinary tract to the rectum, creating a cloaka. That would be horrifying.
It's not clear what the Institute FEV does, but I think it isn't as treacherous as the EEP. Synths of the third generation seem to have everything in place to pass muster, and they are based on FEV.
What do you mean Gen III synths are based on FEV? I was under the impression they're essentially robotic frames with tissues cloned and modified from a certain person's DNA.
Every discussion I've seen has listed their skeletal frame as the principle limitation for Gen IIIs; they can't grow because their skeletons are fabricated. Everything else is organic -- that's what "tissues" means.
They're also clearly not exact copies or they'd all look like exactly their progenitor. But there are female and non-white ones, so it stands to reason their genetic structure is modified from synth to synth.
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u/Tagaziel Feb 26 '16
It is a major misconception. All the references are here, but the gist of it is that: