Question

What is the genotype of a person having Klinefelter syndrome.

Answer 1

Hint: Klinefelter syndrome is a condition in which there is an increased chromosome. In this chromosomal disorder, a male has an extra sex chromosome. It is the chromosome with which diseases like hemophilia are also associated.

Complete answer:
In a healthy male, there are 22 pairs of autosomes and two heteromorphic sex chromosomes X and Y. So, in a normal healthy male, the genotype is 44 + XY. In Klinefelter syndrome, the person has an extra X chromosome which results in three sex chromosomes (2X chromosomes and a Y chromosome). This results in a genotype of 44 + XXY or 47 chromosomes.
- Klinefelter syndrome occurs due to a random error that causes a male to be born with an additional sex chromosome. It is not an inherited condition but a random error.
- Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, including two sex chromosomes that determine a person's gender. Females have two X chromosomes that determine the sex (XX), while males have an X and a Y sex chromosomes (XY).
- Klinefelter syndrome is caused by: An extra copy of X chromosome in each cell (XXY) which is the most common cause Older women or late pregnancy have a slightly higher chance of having a baby with XXY syndrome.

Additional Information:
Signs and Symptoms
- Taller than average - Longer legs and a shorter torso - Absent or delayed puberty. - After puberty, there can be less muscle and facial and body hair compared with other teens. - Small, firm testicles. - Small penis. - Enlarged breast tissue or gynecomastia - In most cases, infertility is seen

Note: In rare cases, a person may have even more than one extra chromosome resulting in an XXXY genotype. This results in severe syndromes with extremely low life expectancy. Since Klinefelter syndrome is a chromosomal disorder, only symptomatic treatment is possible like exercises to build muscles, plastic surgery for breast reduction, etc.