Chromosomes are long, stringy aggregates of genes that carry heredity information. They are composed of dna and proteins and are located within the nucleus of our cells. Chromosomes determine everything from hair color and eye color to gender. Whether you are a male or female depends on the presence or absence of certain chromosomes. Human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes for a total of 46. There are 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. The sex chromosomes are the X chromosome and the Y chromosome. These chromosomes determine gender.
Karyotype of a normal male with 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes.Image Credit: U.S. Department of Energy Human Genome Program, .In human sexual reproduction, two distinct gametes fuse to form a zygote. Gametes are reproductive cells produced by a type of cell division called meiosis. They contain only one set of chromosomes and are said to be haploid (one set of 22 autosomes and one sex chromosome). The male gamete, called the spermatozoan, is relatively motile and usually has a flagellum. The female gamete, called the ovum, is nonmotile and relatively large in comparison to the male gamete. When the haploid male and female gametes unite in a process called fertilization, they form what is called a zygote. The zygote is diploid, meaning that it contains two sets of chromosomes (two sets of 22 autosomes and two sex chromosomes).
Karyotype of a normal male with 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes.Image Credit: U.S. Department of Energy Human Genome Program, .In human sexual reproduction, two distinct gametes fuse to form a zygote. Gametes are reproductive cells produced by a type of cell division called meiosis. They contain only one set of chromosomes and are said to be haploid (one set of 22 autosomes and one sex chromosome). The male gamete, called the spermatozoan, is relatively motile and usually has a flagellum. The female gamete, called the ovum, is nonmotile and relatively large in comparison to the male gamete. When the haploid male and female gametes unite in a process called fertilization, they form what is called a zygote. The zygote is diploid, meaning that it contains two sets of chromosomes (two sets of 22 autosomes and two sex chromosomes).
