sex chromosomes

1. The two chromosomes in each body cell of a living thing that determine what sex it is.

Notes

As with other pairs of chromosomes, one of the sex chromosomes is contributed by each parent; they are of two types, X and Y. The mother supplies only an X-chromosome, but the father can transmit both the X- and the Y-chromosome. At fertilization , if the father's sperm is also carrying an X-chromosome, the child will be female. If the father's sperm is carrying a Y-chromosome, the child will be male.

Example Sentences

These observations on sex-linked heredity confirm the idea that the sex chromosomes determine the sex.

From Project Gutenberg

Following Wilson's nomenclature, we speak of both X and Y as sex chromosomes.

From Project Gutenberg

The daughter gets one of her sex chromosomes from her mother and the other from her father.

From Project Gutenberg

We spoke a moment ago of hereditary traits whose determiners are bound up in the sex chromosomes.

From Project Gutenberg

Normal color vision is hereditary and the determiners which establish it are in the sex chromosomes.

From Project Gutenberg