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In which way do males and females differ in terms of chromosomes?

1) Males have XY chromosomes and females have XX chromosomes.
2) Males have XX chromosomes and females have XY chromosomes.
3) Males and females have the same chromosomes.
4) Males have YY chromosomes and females have XX chromosomes.

User Guiseppe
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

1. Males have XY chromosomes and females have XX chromosomes. The Y chromosome in males triggers the development of male-specific traits, and females inactivate one X chromosome as a Barr body.

Step-by-step explanation:

In biological terms, males and females differ in the constitution of their sex chromosomes. The correct answer is: 1) Males have XY chromosomes and females have XX chromosomes. In human genetics, females inherit two X chromosomes (XX), one from each parent, resulting in a diploid cell that has a total of 46 chromosomes. Males inherit an X chromosome from their mother and a Y chromosome from their father, also totaling 46 chromosomes in their cells, but with the difference of the XY configuration. The Y chromosome is responsible for triggering the development of male-specific physical characteristics and biological functions during growth.

In the case of females, because they have two X chromosomes, one of them is inactivated in each cell and becomes a Barr body, ensuring equal expression of X-linked genes between both sexes. Chromosomal abnormalities, such as men having an extra X (XXY) or Y (XYY) chromosome or women having an extra X chromosome (XXX), can occur due to errors during the process of cell division known as meiosis.

User Alexandre Jobin
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