The

Chromosomal
Basis of
Sex
 Whenever we see a woman with a big baby bump, the first question that we tend to ask
almost without a fail, is, “Is it a boy or is it a girl?” Well, the answer depends on the sex determining
system that has evolved through time and this sex determining system varies from species to
species.
What is Sex Determination?
- A method by which distinction between male and female is established in an organism
under genetic control.
- The sex chromosomes are responsible for determination of separate sexes
- A biological system that determines the development of sexual characteristics in an
organism
- Traditionally, the symbol determines male and the other symbol designates female
- Usually carried in two types; the Genotypic Sex Determination and the Environmental
Sex Determination
Genotypic Sex Determination
- The sex is determined by the sex chromosomes
- There are four distinct types; the X-Y system, the X-O system, the Z-W system and the
haploid-diploid system.
X-Y System
- Occurs in humans and other mammals
- We all know that humans have 23 pair of
chromosomes, 22 pair of autosomes and 1 pair
of sex chromosome or allosomes which
obviously determines our sex.
- Humans and other mammals have two types
of chromosomes designated as X and Y.
- Usually, the Y chromosome is smaller than the X chromosome.
- A person who inherits two chromosomes, one from each parent or one X chromosome from
the mother and another X chromosome from the father will likely to develop an anatomy
we associate with the “female sex”. While “male” properties are associated with the
inheritance of X and Y chromosomes.
 - In mammalian testes and ovaries, the two sex chromosomes segregate during meiosis. Each
egg receives one X-chromosome the main reason why females are dubbed to be
“homogametic” sex (only one type of gamete specifically the X-bearing gamete is
produced).
- In contrast, sperm cells fall into two categories: half the sperm cells a male produces receive
and X chromosome and half receive the Y chromosome. This is also the reason why males
are called “heterogametic” sex (two different gametes- the X and Y bearing is produced).
- During fertilization, if the sperm cell containing X chromosomes fuses with the egg, the
zygote XX develops into a female while if the sperm containing the Y chromosomes fuses
with an egg, the zygote XY develops into a male.
- Since, females have only X’s to pass on in their egg cells and males can give either an X
or a Y in their sperm cells, the sex is determined by the father. In other words, the sex is
dependent on whether the sperm cell contains an X or Y chromosome.
- Therefore, women or mothers should not be blamed for not having a boy or a male
offspring in the family.
- Evidently, in fertilization, sex determination is a matter of 50-50 chance or 1:1 ratio
because males produce equal number of X bearing and Y bearing sperm.
X-O system
- Occurs in grasshoppers, cockroaches and
some other insects where there is only one
type of sex chromosome, the X chromosome
- Females both have two X chromosomes or
XX while males have only one sex
chromosome (XO) chromosome.
- Sex of the offspring is determined by whether the sperm cell contains an X chromosome
or no sex chromosome.
Z-W system
- Occurs in birds, some fishes and insects
- Similar to the case of humans or the X-Y
system, only that the sex determination
system is reversed.
 - In this system, the females have two different sex chromosomes, the ZW while the males
have similar sex chromosomes, the ZZ.
- In this case, if a mother gives her Z chromosome into the egg, then it will produce a male
offspring with ZZ chromosomes while if a mother gives a W chromosome then it will be
a female offspring with ZW chromosome.
- Therefore, unlike in the X-Y system in which the father determines the sex of the offspring,
in this system, the mother is the ones who has the power to determine the sex of the
offspring.
Haploid-diploid system
- Occurs in bees, wasps and ants
- There are no sex chromosomes involved
- Females develop from fertilized egg and
are thus diploid and the males develop
from unfertilized eggs and are haploid and they have no fathers.
Ratio of Sex chromosmes to the autosomes
- Occur in some insects like the common fruitfly,
Drasophila melanogaster
- Just like in humans, it involves the X and Y
chromosomes but in this case, the Y chromosome has
got nothing to do with the determination of sex of the
offspring
- The sex of the child is determined by the ratio of sex
chromosomes to the autosomes
- For example, when the fruitfly has two set of sex chromosomes, the XX and a two sets of
autosomes, the AA ( XX:AA). Then the ratio obtained is 2:2 which is equal to 1. The fly
with this ratio of 1 is considered as female.
- In case of a fruitfly, with one X and one Y or the XY and two sets of autosomes, the AA (
XY:AA), the ratio will be 1:2 or 0.5 . With this ratio, the offspring will be considered a
male.
 - In addition if a fruitfly has three sex chromosomes, XXY and two sets of autosomes, AA
the ratio obtained still, will be 2:2 or equal to 1 because there are two X chromosomes in
every two AA or autosomes, therefore resulting to a female offspring.
Since our own sex is determined by our genes and we do know of these other animals that
have their sex determined by their genes, it’s easy to assume that for all animals, the sex of their
babies still must be determined by genetics. However, for some animals, the question of whether
it will be a boy or a girl has nothing to do with the genes at all, and it can depend on the
environment. This is the second type of sex determination, the Environmental sex determination.
Environmental sex determination
- Sex is determined by the environmental
factors
- Examples include the alligators and turtles
wherein the sex of the egg is determined by
the temperature in the nest. Specifically, in
painted warm temperature in the nest will
produce a female while cold temperature will
produce a male. In simpler terms, HOT chicks and
COOL dudes.
- Also happens in clownfish, when they mature, the
male fishes become female.
References:

Campbell, R. U. (2017). Campbell Biology 11th edition. United States of America: Pearson.
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AzkXQBzZElE
FuseSchool. (2017, November 27). Retrieved from Fuseschool:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D2hVgujy2E8
Reedy, A. (2012, April 23). TED- Ed. Retrieved from TED- Ed:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kMWxuF9YW38
vlmawia. (ND). Linked in SlideShare. Retrieved from Linked in SlideShare:
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