Dictionary.com
definitions

sex chromosome

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sex chromosome ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Genetics.

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

RELATED CONTENT

Sex PistolsRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
What Is The Difference Between “Gender” And “Sex”?Because we're most often talking about human beings when we use these terms, it's critical we get them straight.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

heterochromosome

Nearby words

  1. sex assignment,
  2. sex cell,
  3. sex cells,
  4. sex change,
  5. sex chromatin,
  6. sex chromosome imbalance,
  7. sex chromosomes,
  8. sex crime,
  9. sex determination,
  10. sex factor

Origin of sex chromosome

First recorded in 1910–15
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for sex chromosome

sex chromosome

noun

either of the chromosomes determining the sex of animalsSee also X-chromosome, Y-chromosome
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medicine definitions for sex chromosome

sex chromosome

n.

Either of a pair of chromosomes, usually designated X or Y, that combine to determine the sex and sex-linked characteristics of an individual, with XX resulting in a female and XY in a male.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for sex chromosome

sex chromosome

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. See also X-chromosome Y-chromosome.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.