chromosomes
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In humans, sex is determined by two chromosomes: an X-chromosome, which is female, and a Y-chromosome, which is male. (See sex chromosomes.)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A human, an octopus, and a coral may appear to have almost nothing in common, but their chromosomes still contain recognizable fragments inherited from an animal ancestor that lived more than 600 million years ago.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
The sex specific genetic switches were much less concentrated on the sex chromosomes than researchers anticipated.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
The results suggest that the repeated emergence of complex insect societies may depend more on biological traits specific to certain evolutionary groups than on the way chromosomes are inherited.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Scientists have long known that TRF2 mainly operates at telomeres, the protective DNA caps located at the tips of chromosomes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
But a second mechanism of generating genetic diversity exists: genetic information can be swapped between chromosomes.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.