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Organism w/ ZZ-ZW has 2 autosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes, Z & W. From what type of individual is this cell?

User Secretwep
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Final answer:

A cell with a ZZ-ZW sex chromosome system, where ZZ designates a male, originates from species using ZW sex determination, such as birds and some fish, crustaceans, insects, and reptiles. This contrasts with the mammalian XY system, where XX is female and XY is male.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cell with ZZ-ZW sex determination system comes from a species that uses the ZW system for sex determination, where ZZ is the genotype of a male, and ZW is the genotype of a female.

This system is observed in several groups, such as birds, some fish, crustaceans, insects (like butterflies and moths), and reptiles. In this case, the presence of two Z chromosomes (ZZ) indicates that the individual is male.

Avian sex determination is interesting because it contrasts with the mammalian XY system.

In mammals, individuals with XX chromosomes are female, while those with XY chromosomes are male.

Conversely, in birds and some other animals, ZZ individuals are male, and ZW are female, with the W chromosome playing a crucial role in determining femaleness, akin to the Y chromosome's role in males in the mammalian system.

Pioneering scientist Nettie Stevens significantly contributed to our understanding of sex chromosomes.

Her research laid the groundwork for comprehending these differences in various organisms, including the distinction between human and avian sex chromosome systems.

User SecretAgentMan
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