Chromosomes, in addition to the sex chromosomesare known as autosomes of a organism. The number of chromosomes varies from organism to organism. In humans, there are a total of 46 chromosomes Of these, 2 are sex chromosomes (XX or XY) and 44 are autosomes.
Mice have a total of 40 chromosomes, of which 38 are autosomes and 2 are sex chromosomes. Abnormalities in chromosomes (autosomes or sex chromosomes) cause an organism to be stunted or developmentally delayed.
We define living organisms by the presence of living cells in them, and can be multicellular or unicellular. But ‘cellThe cell is the most fundamental unit of a living organism. The cell has many organelles that perform their specific function to make the body function properly. Among all the organelles, the nucleus is the most vital or essential part of the cell.
The nucleus contains the thread-like structure known as the chromosomewhich includes the information genetics and is transferred from one organism to another organism of the same species. Each of the chromosomes is composed of DNA tightly packed, which wraps around the histone protein.
Although the location and structure of a chromosome can vary between prokaryotes, eukaryotes y virusAs in prokaryotic cells the chromosome consists of DNA, while in non-living viruses the chromosome may consist of RNA or DNA, in eukaryotes, the chromosomes are enclosed within a membrane-surrounded nucleus. It also has RNA along with DNA.
With all this information, at this point we will be highlighting the points that differentiate autosomes and sex chromosomes, also known as allosomes. We will also give a brief description of them.
Comparative graph between autosomes and chromosomes
| BASIS FOR COMPARISON | AUTOSOMAS | CHROMOSOMES |
|---|---|---|
| Sense | This pair of chromosomes that regulate the somatic characters of the body are known as autosomes. | The pair of chromosomes that determine the sex of an organism, as they regulate sex-linked traits. |
| labelled as | They are named or numbered from 1 to 22. | These are recognised by the letters XO, XY, ZW and ZO. |
| Other features | The maximum number of chromosomes in our genome are the autosomes. | There are some numbers of sex chromosomes in our genome. |
| The autosomes (22 pairs) are homologous in humans. | Male sex chromosomes (XY) are not homologous, while female sex chromosomes (XX) are homologous. | |
| In autosomes the position of the centromere is identical. | In sex chromosomes the position of the centromere is not identical. | |
| Demonstrates the inheritance Mendelian. | Shows non-Mendelian inheritance. | |
| The number of genes carried by autosomes varies from 200 to 2000. | Y chromosomes contain only a few genes, while the X chromosome has more than 300 genes. |
Definition of autosomes
The non-sex chromosomes present in organisms are the autosomes. In humans, there are 22 sets of autosomes; they are labelled or named numerically from 1 to 22, such as chromosome 1, chromosomes 2, chromosomes 3, etc. These are labelled according to their shape, size and other properties.
Except for sex-linked traits, the autosomes are known to regulate all other inheritance of an organism’s characteristics. It means that they (the autosomes) are responsible for transferring genetic information from the parents to their offspring. In the body there are numerous cells and each cell has 22 pairs of autosomes.
The chromosomes of each pair are the same length, and even the centromere is in the same place. During the mitosisIn mitosis, chromosomes are duplicated and then transferred to daughter cells. Thus, the new daughter cells will receive a complete copy of the chromosome, which contains the genetic information of their parent cell.
Although autosomes vary from allosomes or sex chromosomes, there are certain chromosomes that determine gender (male/female). Just like chromosome 17 has the gene SOX9, which activates the transcription factor TDF, which is critical for male sex determination as this factor is encoded by the SRY gene located on the Y chromosome. Female offspring are produced by the mutation in the SOX9 gene in humans.
Definition of sex chromosomes
Such chromosomes that play a vital role in determining the gender or sex of humans or other animal species are known as sex chromosomes. These are also known as allosomes. These are called ‘X’ and ‘Y’ by scientists.
In humans, of the 23 pairs of chromosomes, one pair are the sex chromosomes and the other 22 pairs are the autosomes. The one with the ‘XX’ chromosome pair is the female, while the individual with the ‘XY’ chromosome pair is the male.
The chromosome has two arms, the ‘p’ arm and the ‘q’ arm. In the case of sex chromosomes, the ‘Y’ chromosome consists of one very long arm and other very short arms. In the case of the ‘X’ chromosome, which is similar to the large autosomal chromosome, it has one long arm and one short arm.
Key differences between autosomes and sex chromosomes
The following are critical points for understanding the difference between autosomes and sex chromosomes:
- The pair of chromosomes that regulate the somatic characters of the body are known as the autosomeswhile the pair of chromosomes that determine the sex of an organism, since they regulate sex-linked traits, are known as sex chromosomes or allosomes.
- The autosomes are named or numbered from 1 to 22, while the sex chromosomes are recognised by the letters XO, XY, ZW and ZO.
- The maximum number of chromosomes in our genome are the autosomes, and there are a small number of sex chromosomes in our genome.
- The autosomes (22 pairs) are homologues in humans, whereas the male sex chromosomes (XY) are not homologouswhile the female sex chromosomes (XX) are homologous.
- In autosomes the position of the centromere is identical but in sex chromosomes the position of the centromere is not identical.
- Autosomes prove Mendelian inheritance and sex chromosomes show non-Mendelian inheritance.
- The number of genes carried by autosomes varies from 200 to 2000, but in the case of sex chromosomes, the Y chromosomes contain only a few genes, while the X chromosome has more than 300 genes.
Conclusion
In this context, we study chromosomes, which are found in the nucleus and contain the hereditary material. In humans, there are 46 or 23 pairs of chromosomes, of which 22 pairs are autosomes and one pair are sex chromosomes or allosomes.
The autosomes are known to transfer somatic characters to the next generation of the same species, while the sex chromosomes decide the sex or gender of the next generation.