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autosome

 
(ô'tə-sōm') pronunciation
n.
A chromosome that is not a sex chromosome.

autosomal au'to·so'mal (-sō'məl) adj.
autosomally au'to·so'mal·ly adv.

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What are autosomes?

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Autosomes are chromosomes that contain information (gene sequences) available to both sexes. These are the chromosomes commonly used in genetic examples.

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any chromosome except the sex chromosomes. Hence the genes carried by the autosomes show autosomal linkage (or autosomal inheritance) according to the assortment of their respective autosomes to gamete cells during meiosis. Humans have 22 pairs of autosomes in addition to a pair of sex chromosomes.

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Any chromosome other than the sex chromosomes.

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An autosome is a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome, or allosome; that is to say, there is an equal number of copies of the chromosome in males and females.[1] For example, in humans, there are 22 pairs of autosomes. In addition to autosomes, there are sex chromosomes, to be specific: X and Y. So, humans have 23 pairs of 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.

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Related topics:
spreading of inactivation (genetics)
chromosome
Nondisjunction

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American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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