sex chromosome
noun Genetics.
a chromosome, differing in shape or function from other chromosomes, that determines the sex of an individual.
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Nearby words
sex assignment, sex cell, sex cells, sex change, sex chromatin, sex chromosome, sex chromosome imbalance, sex chromosomes, sex crime, sex determination, sex factor
Origin of sex chromosome
First recorded in 1910–15
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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
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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
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