Question

Discuss how the sex of the unborn child gets determined in human beings

Answer 1

Sex chromosomes in sperms determine the baby’s gender. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell. A pair of chromosome forms the sex chromosomes. Males carry XY and females carry XX chromosomes. Reproductive cells give rise to gametes by the division of meiosis. A gamete is a mature reproductive cell - a sperm or an ovum.

If a sperm carrying X fertilises the ovum with X chromosome, then the resulting baby is a girl.

If a sperm carrying Y chromosome fertilises the ovum with X chromosome, then the resulting baby is a boy.

Answer 2

A human being has 23 pair of chromosomes. A male has a mix matched pair with sperms containing x and y chromosomes whereas women only produce one kind of ovum. If the sperm having X chromosome fertilises then it will be a girl or if sperm having Y chromosome fertilises it will be a boy