Those chromosomes whose content is different in the two sexes of a given species. They are usually labeled X and Y (or W and Z); one sex has XX (or WW), the other sex has XY (or WZ). XX (WW) is female and XY (WZ) is male.
The pair of chromosomes that determines the sex of an individual, normally with two X chromosomes for a female and an X and a Y chromosome for a male. Traits or disorders associated with genes carried on the X chromosome are called X-linked, sex-linked, or sex-limited; among them are color blindness, hemophilia, muscular dystrophy (Duchenne type), and g6pd deficiency. The smaller Y chromosome carries little genetic information beyond that directly related to male sexual development. Among the chromosomal abnormalities linked with the sex chromosomes are Turner’s Syndrome, Klinefelter’s syndrome, and fragile X syndrome.
Chromosome that is responsible for sex determination and carries certain sex-linked genes. In mammals there are two sex chromosomes: X and Y. Human females have the XX combination; males, the XY combination.
A chromosome that is involved in the determination of the sex of the individual. Women have two X chromosomes; men have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome.
In humans there are 23 pairs of chromosomes per cell. Male and female differ in respect of one pair. In the nucleus of female cells, the two members of that pair are identical and are called X chromosomes. In the male nucleus there is one X chromosome paired with a dissimilar, differently sized chromosome called the Y chromosome. In the sex cells, after division (meiosis), all cells in the female contain a single X chromosome. In the male, half will contain an X chromosome and half a Y chromosome. If a sperm with an X chromosome fertilizes an ovum (which, as stated, must have an X chromosome) the offspring will be female; if a sperm with a Y chromosome fertilizes the ovum the offspring will be male. It is the sex chromosomes which determine the sex of an individual.
One of two chromosomes, the X and Y chromosomes, that determine sex in humans and that carry the genes for sex-linked characteristics.
The set of chromosomes that dictate an individual’s gender are known as the sex chromosomes. Every human cell, with the exception of egg and sperm cells, houses a pair of sex chromosomes along with 22 other pairs called autosomes. In females, the sex chromosomes look alike and are both X chromosomes. In males, one is an X chromosome and the other, which is smaller, is a Y chromosome. Typically, females have an XX pair, while males have an XY pair.
Similar to other chromosomes, the X and Y chromosomes influence bodily functions through the actions of their specific genes. These genes carry the encoded directions for cellular chemical reactions as well as for broader growth and development processes within the entire organism.
The X and Y chromosomes are distinct in one key aspect: the genes on the Y chromosome are exclusively responsible for determining male sex. If they are present, the individual is male; if absent, the individual is female. The X chromosome, which exists in both males and females, houses numerous genes essential for overall growth and bodily functions. The absence of an X chromosome is not compatible with life.
The presence of a single X chromosome, along with 22 pairs of autosomes in standard body cells, appears to lay the groundwork for overall bodily function and development, which leans toward a fundamentally female blueprint. This is evident in individuals with Turner’s syndrome, who possess only one X chromosome. While they don’t fully develop all female sexual traits, their appearance and identity are distinctly female. The complete range of female sexual characteristics only manifests when a second X chromosome is present. The addition of a Y chromosome is what shifts the developmental pattern from female to male.
The X and Y chromosomes, responsible for determining an individual’s sex.