Question

Why is there a 50/50 chance of the offspring being a boy or a girl?

A) Due to random assortment of chromosomes
B) Because of dominant and recessive genes
C) Because of X and Y chromosomes
D) Because of Mendelian inheritance

Answer 1

There is a 50/50 chance of offspring being a boy or a girl because of X and Y chromosomes, and it's the chromosome from the father that determines the sex of the baby, with an equal chance to pass on an X or Y chromosome.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason there is a 50/50 chance of the offspring being a boy or a girl is C) Because of X and Y chromosomes. The sex of the baby is determined by which chromosome it inherits from the father. Since females have XX chromosomes, they can only pass on an X chromosome. Males have XY chromosomes and can pass on either an X or a Y. If the father passes an X chromosome, the child will be female (XX), but if the father passes a Y chromosome, the child will be male (XY). Therefore, there is a 50/50 chance for each pregnancy to result in a boy or a girl.