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

Y-chromosome Sentence Examples

  • Male sperm cells contain either an X or a Y; if the sperm with the Y chromosome fertilizes an egg, the baby will be male.

  • The male-specific region of the human Y chromosome is a mosaic of discrete sequence classes.

  • Future directions Several challenges now face those researching spermatogenesis genes on the Y chromosome.

  • The Y chromosome passes from father to son in an almost unchanged state, so shared markers indicate a common patrilineal ancestry.

  • The male sperm contains either an X or Y (the Y chromosome makes a male).

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