Autosome

An autosome is a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome – that is to say there are an equal number of copies of the chromosome in males and females.[1] For example, in humans, there are twenty-two pairs of autosomes, and, in addition, there are the X and Y sex chromosomes.

Human chromosomes
Female (XX) Male (XY)
PLoSBiol3.5.Fig7ChromosomesAluFish.jpg
Human male karyotpe.gif
There are two copies of each autosome (chromosomes 1-22) in both females and males. The sex chromosomes are different: there are two copies of the X chromosome in females, but males have a single X chromosome and a Y chromosome.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Griffiths, Anthony J. F. (1999). An Introduction to genetic analysis. New York: W.H. Freeman. ISBN 071673771X. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?highlight=autosome&rid=iga.section.222. 
Genetics: chromosomes
General
Classification
Autosome · Sex chromosome · Microchromosome
Evolution
Chromosomal inversion · Chromosomal translocation · Polyploidy · Paleopolyploidy
Structure

Nucleosome

Telomere: Telomere-binding protein (TINF2)

Chromatid

Chromatin
Euchromatin · Heterochromatin
H1 · H2A · H2B · H3 · H4
A · B · C1 · C2 · E · F · H · I · J · K · M · N · O · P · Q · T
strc: perx, skel, epit, ctrs, , mito, nucl (chro)
Human chromosomes
Autosome
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22
Sex chromosome
X · Y · Pseudoautosomal region
Stub icon This genetics article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.