Question

At the core of the differences between gender and sex is the chromosomal information transmitted at the moment a child is conceived. The mother contributes an X chromosome and if the father contributes an X, a ________ would be produced.

Option 1: Male
Option 2: Female
Option 3: Non-Binary
Option 4: Hermaphrodite

Answer 1

When a baby inherits an X chromosome from both the mother and the father, the biological sex of the baby will be female (XX). The father's sperm, which can carry either an X or a Y chromosome, ultimately determines the sex of the baby.

Step-by-step explanation:

At conception, a child receives one sex chromosome from each parent: an X chromosome from the mother, and either an X or Y chromosome from the father. If the father contributes an X chromosome, the child will have two X chromosomes (XX) and will be biologically female. If the father contributes a Y chromosome, the resulting XY combination will produce a male offspring.

Mothers always pass on an X chromosome to their offspring, making the father's contribution the deciding factor. Therefore, a baby inheriting an X chromosome from the father, along with an X from the mother, will be biologically female. This is due to the mother and father's gametes—female gametes containing a single X chromosome and male gametes containing either an X or a Y chromosome.

While most individuals are biologically female (XX) or male (XY), there are instances of chromosomal intersex variations, such as XXY or XO, which do not neatly fit typical binary categories. These variations can lead to a range of biological characteristics.