Autosomes
Autosomes
Autosomes (/ˈɔːtəˌsoʊmz/) are any of the numbered chromosomes, as opposed to the sex chromosomes. Humans have 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes (the X and Y). Autosomes are numbered roughly in relation to their sizes. That is, Chromosome 1 has approximately 2,800 genes, while chromosome 22 has approximately 750 genes.
Etymology
The term "autosome" comes from the Greek autos, meaning "self", and soma, meaning "body". It was first used in the early 20th century to differentiate the non-sex chromosomes from the sex chromosomes.
Related Terms
- Chromosome: A DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism.
- Gene: A unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
- Sex Chromosomes: A type of chromosome in the genome that is involved in the determination of the sex as well as the development of sexual characteristics in an organism.
- Genome: The haploid set of chromosomes in a gamete or microorganism, or in each cell of a multicellular organism.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Autosomes
- Wikipedia's article - Autosomes
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