Question

Our genetic information is stored in 23 pairs of chromosomes that vary widely in size and shape. Chromosome 1 is the largest and is over three times bigger than chromosome 22.Source: / There are 23 pairs of chromosomes. But the article is using the phrase chromosome 1 and chromosome 22 to refer to chromosome pairs. What is the correct term here? Is there a term referring to a chromosomeclass or type or something similar?

Answer 1

The correct term for one half of a chromosome pair is 'chromosome,' which refers to each individual chromosome that makes up the pair.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct term to refer to one half of a chromosome pair is simply a 'chromosome.' When articles or texts refer to 'chromosome 1' or 'chromosome 22,' they are indeed referring to the respective pairs of chromosomes, with each pair consisting of two homologous chromosomes.

To elaborate, there are 23 pairs of chromosomes in human cells, which include 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. The first 22 pairs are numbered from 1 to 22 based on their size in descending order, with pair 1 being the longest and pair 22 being the shortest.

The 23rd pair determines the sex of the individual; females have two X chromosomes (XX), whereas males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY). The term 'autosome' refers to the 22 non-sex chromosome pairs, while 'sex chromosomes' describes the 23rd pair.