Question

1. Each parent gives one sex chromosome to their offspring. Whose chromosome determines the sex of the child?
• A. father
• B. mother
• C. grandfather
• D. grandmother
Comprehension Questions
2. What types of sex chromosomes do mothers always pass on?
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3. What types of sex chromosomes can fathers pass on?
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4. If a child is born with XX chromosomes, what is their biological sex typically?
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5. Explain in your own words why the father determines the sex of the baby.
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Answer 1

1. A. father

2. Mothers always pass on an X chromosome.

3. Fathers can pass on either an X or a Y chromosome.

4. XX usually corresponds to a biological female.

5. Because the mother always gives an X, the sex depends on which chromosome the father’s sperm carries. If the sperm carries an X, the child is XX (female); if it carries a Y, the child is XY (male). Fathers produce sperm that randomly carry X or Y, so the father’s chromosome determines the child’s sex.