Unlike most human chromosomes, which are paired with a maternal and a paternal copy, the sex chromosomes do not always form a perfect pair. Humans have 22 pairs of autosomes, but the sex chromosomes, X and Y, do not always match.
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Unlike most human chromosomes, which are paired with a maternal and a paternal copy, the sex chromosomes do not always form a perfect pair. Humans have 22 pairs of autosomes, but the sex chromosomes, X and Y, do not always match.
Human sex chromosomes, X and Y, differ from other chromosomes in terms of pairing during meiosis. While autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) form homologous pairs, with one inherited from each parent, sex chromosomes exhibit limited homology. In males, the X and Y chromosomes only partially pair during meiosis, primarily in regions called pseudoautosomal regions. In females, the two X chromosomes pair like autosomes. This incomplete pairing in males allows the Y chromosome to determine male-specific traits and ensures proper segregation of sex chromosomes during cell division, maintaining the integrity of the sex determination system.
Human sex chromosomes differ from other chromosomes in terms of pairing because they do not always form perfect homologous pairs. Most human chromosomes exist in 22 pairs, with each member of the pair being similar, one from the mother and one from the father. These paired chromosomes are called autosomes. However, the sex chromosomes, X and Y, are unique. While women have a homologous pair of X sex chromosomes (XX), men have a mismatched pair consisting of one normal-sized X and a shorter Y chromosome (XY). This difference in pairing is specific to the sex chromosomes and distinguishes them from the autosomes in the human genome.