The sex of a child is determined by the type of sperm that fertilizes the mother's egg. The mother's egg contains an X chromosome, while the father's sperm can contain either an X or a Y chromosome. Here's a simple flowchart to illustrate this:
Start
|
| (Fertilization)
v
Mother's Egg (X Chromosome)
|
| (Meets with)
v
Father's Sperm (X or Y Chromosome)
|
| (If X Sperm)
v
Female Child (XX Chromosome)
|
| (Else if Y Sperm)
v
Male Child (XY Chromosome)
|
End
```
If the sperm carrying an X chromosome fertilizes the egg, the resulting combination of chromosomes (XX) will develop into a female. If the sperm carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes the egg, the resulting combination of chromosomes (XY) will develop into a male. Since the type of sperm (X or Y) that fertilizes the egg is random, it's indeed a matter of chance whether a couple will have a male or female child.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
The sex of a child is determined by the type of sperm that fertilizes the mother's egg. The mother's egg contains an X chromosome, while the father's sperm can contain either an X or a Y chromosome. Here's a simple flowchart to illustrate this:
Start
|
| (Fertilization)
v
Mother's Egg (X Chromosome)
|
| (Meets with)
v
Father's Sperm (X or Y Chromosome)
|
| (If X Sperm)
v
Female Child (XX Chromosome)
|
| (Else if Y Sperm)
v
Male Child (XY Chromosome)
|
End
```
If the sperm carrying an X chromosome fertilizes the egg, the resulting combination of chromosomes (XX) will develop into a female. If the sperm carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes the egg, the resulting combination of chromosomes (XY) will develop into a male. Since the type of sperm (X or Y) that fertilizes the egg is random, it's indeed a matter of chance whether a couple will have a male or female child.