How is the sex of a baby determined?
GeneralClass 12AllAnswered 27 Mar 2026
Answer
The sex of a baby is determined at conception by the combination of sex chromosomes from the parents. Every human cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, including one pair of sex chromosomes. Females have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY). The mother's egg always contributes an X chromosome, while the father's sperm can carry either an X or a Y chromosome. If a sperm carrying an X chromosome fertilizes the egg, the baby will be female (XX). If a sperm carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes the egg, the baby will be male (XY). Therefore, it is the father's genetic contribution that determines the baby's sex, though this is a random process with roughly equal probability.
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