Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

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What term describes chromosomes that determine the sex of an organism?

Autosomes
Homologous chromosomes
Sex chromosomes
Mutant chromosomes

The correct answer is: Sex chromosomes

The term that describes chromosomes determining the sex of an organism is "sex chromosomes." In humans and many other organisms, there are typically two types of sex chromosomes: X and Y. Females usually have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY). The presence and combination of these sex chromosomes are crucial for establishing an individual's sexual characteristics and reproductive functions. Autosomes refer to the other chromosomes in the genome that are not involved in determining sex but rather carry genes that influence various traits and functions unrelated to sex determination. Homologous chromosomes are pairs of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent, that are similar in shape and size and carry genes for the same traits but may have different alleles. Mutant chromosomes would refer to chromosomes that have undergone mutations, which can affect the function of genes on them but do not specifically relate to determining an organism's sex.