Learn how sex chromosomes determine biological sex, what genes they carry, and how they affect health and aging Discover the history of how the sex chromosomes were discovered and named by scientists. Find out the differences between sex and gender, and the conditions linked to x and y chromosomes.
Xx and xy chromosomes are only part of the story Learn how the x and y chromosomes carry instructions that decide our biological sex, and how intersex people have both masculine and feminine body parts Discover how sex chromosomes vary naturally and why biological sex isn't always binary
In the xx/xy system, karyotypic females usually have two x chromosomes (xx), while karyotypic males usually have a single x and a single y chromosome (xy). In humans the sex chromosomes consist of one pair of the total of 23 pairs of chromosomes The other 22 pairs of chromosomes are called autosomes Individuals having two x chromosomes (xx) are female
Individuals having one x chromosome and one y chromosome (xy) are male. Cracking the code to sex and genetics Understand how these chromosomes influence your biology and health.