This chapter provides an overview of the basics of chromosomes, including their role in determining our features and the structure of the genome. It also compares the structure of X and Y chromosomes, highlighting the unique characteristics of the Y chromosome.
Twenty years after the first pass at sequencing the entire human genome, the Y chromosome has finally been fully decoded. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Mark Jobling, professor of genetics at the University of Leicester, about why it has proved so tricky, the role of the Y chromosome in our bodies, and the likelihood of it eventually dying out altogether. Help support our independent journalism at
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