Autosome

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An autosome is a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome – that is to say there are an equal number of copies of the chromosome in males and females.[1] For example, in humans, there are twenty-two pairs of autosomes, and in addition there are X and Y chromosomes which are sex chromosomes.

Human chromosomes
Female (XX) Male (XY)
PLoSBiol3.5.Fig7ChromosomesAluFish.jpg
Human male karyotpe.gif
There are two copies of each autosome (chromosomes 1-22) in both females and males. The sex chromosomes are different: there are two copies of the X chromosome in females, but males have a single X chromosome and a Y chromosome.

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