autosome

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

Any chromosome other than the sex chromosomes.

This article is about a type of chromosome. For the ancestral discovery method using autosomal DNA, see Genealogical DNA test#Geographic origin tests.

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 22 pairs of autosomes, but the X and Y chromosomes are sex chromosomes.

Human chromosomes
Female (XX)	Male (XY)
The 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

• Allosome
• Autosomal dominant
• Autosomal recessive
• Homologous chromosome
• Sex determination

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. 

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