Human sex chromosomes originated from a pair of autosomes, the ordinary or non-sex chromosomes that contain the majority of our genome and come in identical pairs. That ancestral pair of autosomes ...

The Y chromosome is among the smallest in the human body and carries the fewest genes. Researchers are paying renewed attention to its role in cancer—specifically, what happens when it vanishes.

Having extra chromosomes is typically an issue for an organism and can disrupt development or cause disease. But some cells benefit instead: For example, cancer cells or pathogenic yeasts can use ...

Women can be colorblind, but it’s much less common than in men. Red-green color blindness, the most common type, is inherited through the X chromosome. Since males have only one X, they need just one ...

Turner syndrome is a chromosomal condition involving a person’s sex chromosomes. It is considered mosaic when an X chromosome is missing in some cells in people who have two X chromosomes. Share on ...

Basic biology has it that girls are girls because they have two X chromosomes — the things inside cells that carry our genes. Boys are boys because they have one X and one Y. Recently, though, there's ...

The biological necessity of the Y chromosome is undergoing a fundamental reassessment as evidence confirms its disappearance ...