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Is it the paternal or maternal gamete that determines sex? Explain

User Reneemarie
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The mother gives an X chromosome to the child. The father may contribute an X or a Y. The chromosome from the father determines if the baby is born as male or female.

User Aniruddha Sarkar
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Answer:

Sex of the baby is determined by the paternal gamete

Step-by-step explanation:

Sex of the baby is determined at the time of fertilization as during this time the sperm from the male and the ovum from the female fuse with each other.

Women are homogametic and produce one type of ovum (maternal gamete) (22+X).

However the male companion is heterogametic and produces two types of sperm (paternal gamete) i.e. one 22+X and the other 22+Y in identical amounts.

Therefore the zygote would be off (44+XX or 44+XY) chromosomes depending on which kind of sperm fertilizes the ovum.

The zygote carrying 44+XX chromosomes would be a male baby whereas the other carrying 44+XY would be a female baby.

Therefore the sex of the baby is determined by the paternal gamete and not by the maternal gamete at the time of fertilization.

User FSMaxB
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