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Which of the following best describes a human with an XXXY sex chromosome complement?

a) Male with three Barr bodies
b) Male with one Barr body
c) Male with no Barr bodies
d) Female with three Barr bodies

User Buendiadas
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

An individual with an XXXY chromosome complement is a male with Klinefelter syndrome variant and would have three Barr bodies due to the inactivation of the three unnecessary X chromosomes.

Step-by-step explanation:

An individual with an XXXY sex chromosome complement is considered to be a male with a variation of Klinefelter syndrome. In humans, the presence of a Y chromosome typically determines male sex. However, in cases where there are multiple X chromosomes, as seen in this syndrome, all but one of the X chromosomes are inactivated and become Barr bodies. Therefore, with an XXXY complement, there would be three X chromosomes that are inactivated, resulting in three Barr bodies.

An individual with an XXXY sex chromosome complement has a genotype known as Klinefelter syndrome. This genotype corresponds to phenotypically male individuals with small testes, enlarged breasts, and reduced body hair. In this case, every X chromosome except one undergoes inactivation, resulting in the formation of several Barr bodies in each cell nucleus.

User Crinsane
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