X chromosome

See also: X-chromosome

English

Alternative forms

• X-chromosome

Etymology

Named by Hermann Henking in 1890 from x (signifying the unknown) due to some baffling properties he had observed. The brief resemblance in the appearance of the X and Y chromosomes to the letters "X" and "Y" respectively during cell division is entirely coincidental.

Noun

X chromosome (plural X chromosomes)

1. (genetics) A mammalian sex chromosome. Cells of females have a pair of X chromosomes while cells of males have an X and a Y.

Related terms

• X-linked trait
• Y chromosome

Translations

a mammalian sex chromosome

• Estonian: X-kromosoom (et)
• Finnish: X-kromosomi (fi)
• Icelandic: X-litningur m
• Irish: X-chrómasóm m
• Romanian: cromozom X m
• Swedish: X-kromosom (sv) c