Y chromosome

noun

: a sex chromosome that is characteristic of male cells in species in which the male typically has two unlike sex chromosomes compare x chromosome

Examples of Y chromosome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web How the female body handles its extra X chromosome (the male body has just one plus a Y chromosome) might be a factor that helps explain why women are more susceptible to these types of disorders, a new study has suggested. Katie Hunt, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 Female cells have two X chromosomes, whereas males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (at least in mammals). Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2024 The X chromosome is packed with hundreds of genes, far more than males’ much smaller Y chromosome. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 In addition to providing a complete sequence of one Y chromosome, a companion paper also included 42 other sequences for comparison and to begin to represent human diversity. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 24 Aug. 2023 Men with few Y chromosomes in their blood cells, for instance, are more prone to heart disease, neurological conditions and cancer. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 21 June 2023 The next step involved pooling together 16 cancer cells from mice containing a normal Y chromosome with 16 cells missing a Y chromosome. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 22 June 2023 Doctors recommended banking one’s own stool for gut rejuvenation in old age, and the loss of Y chromosomes among aging men leads to premature death. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022 Sasaki expects that deleting Y chromosomes and duplicating X chromosomes won’t happen nearly as smoothly in human cells. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Y chromosome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Y chromosome was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near Y chromosome

Cite this Entry

“Y chromosome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Y%20chromosome. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Y chromosome

noun
: a sex chromosome that is associated with maleness and occurs only in male cells paired with an X chromosome in organisms (as human beings) in which the male normally has two unlike sex chromosomes compare x chromosome

Medical Definition

Y chromosome

noun
: a sex chromosome that is characteristic of male cells in species in which the male typically has two unlike sex chromosomes compare x chromosome

More from Merriam-Webster on Y chromosome

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!