Embryogenesis - MCAT Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

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Question

To form a female zygote, the sperm cell must contribute which chromosome(s)?

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Answer

The necessary genotype for a female zygote is XX.

The mother will share this XX genotype (since she is also female) and will contribute one X-chromosome. The father, however, will be male and have the genotype XY. This means he has a 50% chance of passing on an X-chromosome and a 50% chance of passing on a Y-chromosome. If the zygote inherits a Y-chromosome from the father's sperm, then the offspring will be male. If the zygote inherits an X-chromosome from the father's sperm, then the resulting genotype will be XX and the offspring will be female.

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