Sex chromosomes

Sex chromosomes are chromosomes that determine the biological sex, or gender, of an individual.[1]

Human cells normally contain two sex chromosomes. Females have two X chromosomes, and males have an X and a Y chromosome.[2] As a result, about half of babies are born with female sex chromosomes and half are born with male sex chromosomes.[3]

After chromosomes are determined, they further influence sex by affecting which gonads the zygote will develop through the Y chromosome. The Y chromosome contains a gene called SRY, which stands for "sex determining region on the Y chromosome." Of course, the SRY gene is absent on the X chromosome.[3]

## See also[edit]

* Autosomal chromosomes: "Autosomal simply refers to non-sex chromosomes. So, sticking with the human example, do the math, and you can see that humans have 44 autosomal chromosomes."[2]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Wile, Dr. Jay L. Exploring Creation With Biology. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Genetics: Examining the Basics of Chromosomes
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Grison, Sarah, and Michael S. Gazzaniga. Psychology in Your Life. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2017.