Y chromosome facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Human Y chromosome |
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Human Y chromosome (after G-banding)
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Y chromosome in human male karyogram
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| Features | |
| Length (bp) | 62,460,029 bp (CHM13) |
| No. of genes | 63 (CCDS) |
| Type | Allosome |
| Centromere position | Acrocentric (10.4 Mbp) |
| Complete gene lists | |
| CCDS | Gene list |
| HGNC | Gene list |
| UniProt | Gene list |
| NCBI | Gene list |
| External map viewers | |
| Ensembl | Chromosome Y |
| Entrez | Chromosome Y |
| NCBI | Chromosome Y |
| UCSC | Chromosome Y |
| Full DNA sequences | |
| RefSeq | NC_000024 (FASTA) |
| GenBank | CM000686 (FASTA) |
The Y chromosome is one of the two special chromosomes that decide if a human or other mammal is male or female. It works with the X chromosome to do this. In many species, having a Y chromosome means an individual will be male. Without it, they will be female.
The DNA that makes up the human Y chromosome has about 62 million base pairs. This makes it similar in size to chromosome 19. The genes on the Y chromosome are only passed down from fathers to their sons. This means that only males inherit Y chromosome genes. The Y chromosome is one of the fastest-changing parts of the human genome. It has a 30% difference between humans and chimpanzees.
Contents
What Genes Does the Y Chromosome Carry?
The human Y chromosome contains 693 genes in total. Out of these, 107 genes are used to make proteins. However, some of these genes are repeated. This means there are only 42 unique protein-making genes. These numbers are based on the CHM13 reference.
The Consensus CDS Project has officially classified 63 of these 107 genes. Most genes on the Y chromosome are "hemizygous." This means they are only found on one chromosome. This is different from most genes, which come in pairs. However, in some rare cases, like XYY syndrome, there can be more than one Y chromosome.
How Big Can the Y Chromosome Be?
Scientists discovered in 2023 that the Y chromosome can vary a lot in size. It can range from 45.2 million to 84.9 million base pairs. This shows that its size is not always the same for everyone.
Related Pages
See also
In Spanish: Cromosoma Y para niños
