Y-chromosome Definition

noun
The sex chromosome associated with male characteristics in mammals, not occurring in females and occurring with one X-chromosome in the male sex-chromosome pair.
American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Y-chromosome

Noun

Singular:
Y-chromosome
Plural:
y-chromosomes

Origin of Y-chromosome

  • Named by Nettie Stevens in 1905 using the next letter in sequence following the naming by Hermann Henking in 1890 of the X chromosome. The brief resemblance in the appearance of the X and Y chromosomes to the letters "X" and "Y" respectively during cell division is entirely coincidental.

    From Wiktionary

Words Near Y-chromosome in the Dictionary