Self Assessment Question # 5 for Lesson 12

by Dr Jamie Love © 2002 - 2005
Genetics Course

Assume a human sperm cell, carrying 22 autosomes and both an X chromosome and a Y chromosome, fuses with a normal human egg carrying 23 chromosomes, including the X chromosome.

What will be the sex of the child?

How many Barr bodies, if any, will the child have?

If that child were able to make gametes - s/he cannot, but assume s/he can - what combination of sex chromosomes would be possible in the gametes. (Ignore the autosomes, just tell me what sex chromosomes could be in the gametes.)

What would be the composition of each zygote produced if each gamete, above, fertilized another gamete with an X chromosome and the normal complement of 22 autosomes?

Go to the ANSWER

Dr Jamie Love, the producer of these Genetics lessons, has written several self-study science courses specifically designed for home schoolers and other distance learners. These courses are "hypertextbooks" - delivered over the internet and read on your computer, just like web pages. To organize and distribute these hypertextbooks, Jamie created Merlin's Science Academy - a (non-accredited) "virtual school". Merlin's Science Academy sells self-paced, self-learning hypertextbooks that teach Alchemy (actually, Chemistry ), Astronomy and Genetics in a fun and unique way. Each course has computerized exams, unique features and a style best suited for teaching the subject. Principles of Alchemy (Chemistry) is for younger students (up to highschool), while Principles of Astronomy is for more advanced students (hobbyists & first-year university), and Principles of Genetics is most suitable for very advanced students (at university). However, every student is different and it would not be fair to generalize. So, visit Merlin's Science Academy where you can learn more about the courses, request free samples of each course (to download onto your computer) and enjoy the free online samples.

Return to the Genetics Home Page.