Physiology of Finfish and Shellfish (2+1)

3.1.14. Autosomes

The sex chromosomes contain genes that determine the gender of an individual. The remaining chromosomes that are not involved in determining the sex of an individual are called autosomes.

Any chromosome not considered as a sex chromosome , or is not involved in sex determination. It occurs in pairs in somatic cells and singly in sex cells ( gametes ). For instance, a human somatic cell will normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes (total=46 chromosomes ). Twenty-two (22) of these pairs will be autosomes, and only one of them will be a pair of sex chromosomes (the X and Y chromosomes).