Sex Determination
Biology: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 4.3.5
Sex Determination
Healthy human body cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, only one of which is responsible for determining sex (or gender). This pair of chromosomes are called the sex chromosomes and can either be X or Y:
Females
- Females are XX, so an egg contains one X chromosome.
Males
- Males are XY, so a sperm contains either one X or one Y chromosome.
Test yourself on Sex Determination
Which of the following is true of sex determination in humans?