Question
Write a short note on chromosomes.

Answer

Most of the cells in our body contain $23$ pairs of chromosomes:
  • Chromosomes are the hereditary elements of the body.
  • The genetic cells (sperm and ovum) have $23$ chromosomes but not in pairs.
  • A new generation results from the fusion of a sperm cell and an egg cell.
  • At the time of conception the organism inherits $46$ chromosomes from parents, $23$ from the mother and $23$ from the father.
  • The $23^{rd}$​​​​​​​ chromosomes of the sperm cell can be either the X or Y type. If the X type sperm fertlise the egg cell, the fertilized egg will have an XX $23^{rd}$​​​​​​​ chromosomes pair, and the child will be a female. And, if a Y type sperm fertilises the egg, the $23^{rd}$ chromosome pair will be XY, and the child will be a male. So, it is the sperm that decides whether the offspring will be a male or a female.

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