Sex Determination, Determination of Gender, Gender Determination

Every living organism on earth is characterized in a unique and distinct manner and these unique characteristics are determined by Genetic material. It is due to this individually unique Genetic material that every human being looks different from the other.

Gene talk
A cell is the basic unit of all living organisms. You are made up of millions of Cells. Cells consist of nucleus which contains chromosomes—the Genetic material that determines your gender. Genes are found on chromosomes and are made up of DNA.

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What determines your gender?
Human beings have 23 pairs of chromosomes, that is, 46 single chromosomes. Of these 23 pairs, 22 pairs are non-sex chromosomes —also known as autosomes.

The remaining one pair forms your sex chromosomes. The sex chromosomes are the X and Y chromosomes that determine your gender. While males are made of an X and a Y chromosome, females are made of two X chromosomes.

The Sperm carries either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome. The egg or the ovum of a woman contains a single type of chromosome which is the X chromosomes. If the Sperm carrying X chromosome fertilizes the egg, the resulting Fetus will be XX that is a female child.

If the Sperm carrying Y chromosome fertilizes the egg then the resulting Fetus will be XY, which is a male child.

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When a Sperm and an egg unite to form a baby, each parent contributes half of their Chromosomal characteristics during fertilization of the egg. This results in a child having a combination of his or her parents’ characteristics.

The Genes on the mother’s and father’s chromosomes determine which specific characteristics are to be passed on to the child. For example, the father’s gene that determines eye color may be dominant over that of the mother’s gene that determines eye color. When this happens the eye color of the baby will be as that of the father’s.

Sex determination and Indian law
Predetermining the sex of the Fetus and aborting the female fetuses is widespread in India. There are thousands of female fetuses aborted every year. Hence, the male to female ratio has altered to a great extent.

According to UNICEF about 7000 fewer baby girls are born than the expected number. Sex determination and Abortion in India is regulated by two laws.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP Act) of 1972 and the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act of 1994 subsequently amended into the PCPNDT Act in 2003.

Sex determination

Quiz