A sex chromosome found in all human cells, present as two copies in genetic females and one copy in genetic males.
Structure
The X chromosome is a long submetacentric chromosome containing about 155 million base pairs. It is significantly larger than the Y chromosome and encodes many more genes.
Function
Because females carry two X chromosomes, one is randomly silenced in each cell early in development, a process called X-inactivation. This balances gene dosage between the sexes.
Clinical note
Mutations on the X chromosome cause X-linked disorders such as hemophilia, color blindness, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affect males more often than females.
Find more body parts by letter
X Chromosome starts with X and ends with E. Browse other body parts along the same letter.
Body Parts that contain a letter from "X Chromosome":