Final answer:
The sex of an organism with 54, 55 chromosomes can't be determined without knowing the specific sex chromosomes. Humans have 22 pairs of autosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes. SRY gene on the Y chromosome determines male sex, with absence of Y resulting in default female development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sex of an organism with a normal number of autosomes can be determined by analyzing its sex chromosomes. In humans, autosomal chromosome are present in 22 pairs and are the same in both males and females. These autosomes carry genes for many characteristics that are not related to the sex of the individual. The sex chromosome determine an individual's sex: females possess two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY). The presence of the Y chromosome with its SRY gene determines the male sex, while its absence (having two X chromosomes) results in the female sex. The question the student asked, 54 55? 1) Male 2) Female 3) Cannot be determined, is either incorrectly written or insufficient to determine the sex of the organism because the standard human karyotype should be represented by a number followed by either XX or XY to denote female or male sex, respectively.
SRY (sex-determining region Y) is a gene on the Y chromosome that is critical for the development of male characteristics. If an organism does not have a Y chromosome that contains the SRY gene, the default development pathway is female, thus making females the default sex in humans and other mammals with this system of sex determination.