sex chromosome

American  

[seks kroh-muh-sohm] / ˈsɛks ˌkroʊ məˌsoʊm /

noun

Genetics.

1. a chromosome, differing in shape or function from other chromosomes, that determines the sex of an individual.

---

sex chromosome British  

noun

1. either of the chromosomes determining the sex of animals See also X-chromosome Y-chromosome

---

sex chromosome Scientific  

1. Either of a pair of chromosomes, usually called X and Y, that in combination determine the sex of an individual in many animals and in some plants. In mammals, XX results in a female and XY in a male, while the opposite is true in birds (where the designations ZW for female and ZZ for male are often used). Sex chromosomes carry the genes that control the development of reproductive organs and secondary sex characteristics. In some organisms, sex is determined by environmental influences.

2. See also X-chromosome Y-chromosome

---

Etymology

Origin of sex chromosome

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Previous sex chromosome sequences for these species were incomplete or -- for the Bornean orangutan and siamang -- did not exist.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

In a paper published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report that female zebra longwings can see colors that males cannot, thanks to a gene on their sex chromosome.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2023

“We’ve had cell lines from males and females before, but the fact that they’re coming from same person with just the same sex chromosome difference—it’s a big step.”

From Scientific American • Dec. 21, 2022

Scientists can sort sperm by the weight of the sex chromosome, or cause embryos of one sex to die before birth.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 2, 2021

The recessive character in this case is linked to the female sex chromosome, or, as Bateson described it, the dominant character is repelled by the sex-factor.

From Hormones and Heredity by Cunningham, J. T.