Final answer:
In most mammals, sex determination is achieved through sex chromosomes, with females carrying XX and males carrying XY chromosomes. Other organisms may use different systems or environmental factors to determine sex.
Step-by-step explanation:
The types of chromosomes that provide the basis for sex determination in most mammals are the sex chromosomes. In mammals, the sex chromosomes are either XX or XY. Females typically have two X chromosomes (XX), which are homologous, whereas males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY), which are not homologous. The Y chromosome carries genes that are crucial for the development of male characteristics.
While sex chromosomes are responsible for determining sex in most mammals, other organisms may utilize different systems. For example, birds use the ZW system where ZW determines a female and ZZ determines a male. Additionally, some reptiles use environmental sex determination, where the temperature at which eggs are incubated decides the sex of the offspring.