Why is the sex chromosomes of humans and most animals written as XY while for birds it is ZW
In: Biology
It’s a scientific designation to make it easier for scientists.
XY and ZW are all sex chromosomes. These don’t look the same between different species and instead they’re grouped together by function.
In XY the Y chromosome is the sex-determining chromosome and those with it become male. Sex is determined by a difference in the sperm.
In ZW the W chromosome is the sex-determining chromosome and those with it become female. Sex is determined by a difference in the egg.
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