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sex chromosome

noun

Definition of sex chromosome

: a chromosome that is inherited differently in the two sexes, that is concerned directly with the inheritance of sex, and that is the seat of factors governing the inheritance of various sex-linked and sex-limited characters — compare x chromosome, y chromosome

First Known Use of sex chromosome

1906, in the meaning defined above

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The first known use of sex chromosome was in 1906

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sex chromosome

noun

Medical Definition of sex chromosome

: a chromosome (as the X chromosome or the Y chromosome in humans) of a sexually reproducing eukaryotic organism that is directly concerned with the inheritance of sex, that contains the genes governing the inheritance of various sex-linked and sex-limited characteristics, and that is represented differently in the two sexes either by being present in one and not the other or by being present a different number of times in one sex compared to the other

— called also heterochromosome

More from Merriam-Webster on sex chromosome

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sex chromosome

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