Y chromosome

noun

: a sex chromosome that is characteristic of male cells in species in which the male typically has two unlike sex chromosomes compare x chromosome

Examples of Y chromosome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In addition to providing a complete sequence of one Y chromosome, a companion paper also included 42 other sequences for comparison and to begin to represent human diversity. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2023 Men with few Y chromosomes in their blood cells, for instance, are more prone to heart disease, neurological conditions and cancer. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 21 June 2023 The next step involved pooling together 16 cancer cells from mice containing a normal Y chromosome with 16 cells missing a Y chromosome. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 22 June 2023 Doctors recommended banking one’s own stool for gut rejuvenation in old age, and the loss of Y chromosomes among aging men leads to premature death. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022 Sasaki expects that deleting Y chromosomes and duplicating X chromosomes won’t happen nearly as smoothly in human cells. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2023 The data used in the paper are drawn from the Y chromosome haplotype reference database (YHRD), based at Charité, which includes Y chromosome data from more than 300,000 individuals uploaded by contributors from around the world and is used by researchers and law enforcement agencies. Dennis Normile, Science | AAAS, 10 Aug. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Y chromosome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Y chromosome was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near Y chromosome

Cite this Entry

“Y chromosome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Y%20chromosome. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

Y chromosome

noun
: a sex chromosome that is associated with maleness and occurs only in male cells paired with an X chromosome in organisms (as human beings) in which the male normally has two unlike sex chromosomes compare x chromosome

Medical Definition

Y chromosome

noun
: a sex chromosome that is characteristic of male cells in species in which the male typically has two unlike sex chromosomes compare x chromosome

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