How Many Chromosomes do Humans Have?

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Detailed Solution

Humans have a total of 46 chromosomes in each somatic (body) cell, organized into 23 pairs. Of these pairs, 22 are autosomes (the same in both sexes), and the 23rd pair comprises the sex chromosomes, which determine biological sex: females typically have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY).

Each parent contributes one chromosome to each pair, so half your chromosomes come from your mother and half from your father.

Human egg and sperm cells (gametes) each contain 23 chromosomes (one from each pair); fertilization restores the 46-chromosome complement in the offspring.

Alterations in the total number of chromosomes can lead to genetic conditions like Down syndrome (trisomy 21, with 47 chromosomes instead of 46).

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