Question

How many chromosomes are there in a human cell?
What are sex chromosomes?
What will be the sex of the offspring if a sperm carrying chromosome X fertilizes the egg?

Answer 1

Hint: Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, including autosomes and sex chromosomes. Humans and most other mammals have two sex chromosomes, the X and the Y. Females have two X chromosomes in their cells, while males have both X and a Y chromosome in their cells.

Complete answer: A sex chromosome is a type of chromosome that participates in sex determination.
1. Humans and most other mammals have two sex chromosomes, the X and the Y.
2. Females have two X chromosomes (22 + XX) in their cells, while males have both X and a Y chromosome (22 + XY) in their cells.
3. A sex-determination system is a biological system that determines the development of sexual characteristics in an organism.
4. Most organisms that create their offspring using sexual reproduction have two sexes. Occasionally, there are hermaphrodites in place of one or both sexes.
5. In case the sperm carries the X chromosome, then the child will be a girl, as it will receive another X chromosome from its mother.

Note: It is a wide misconception, especially in rural areas, that the sex of a child is decided by the mother. This is false as sex is determined by the inheritance of either Y or X chromosome from the father, and not the mother.
Due to this taboo, female foeticide has been prominent, although after the ban of amniocentesis the rate of female foeticide has reduced drastically.