The human genome consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes. 22 of these pairs, called autosomes, look the same in both males and females. The 23rd pair, the sex chromosomes, are different between males and females. Females have two copies of the X chromosome, while males have one copy of the X and one copy of the Y chromosome. Somatic chromosomes are the chromosomes found in the nuclei of all the body’s somatic (non-reproductive) cells. They are inherited from both the father and mother and contain the same genetic information as the germline (reproductive) chromosomes. They determine an individual’s physical characteristics, such as hair colour and eye colour. There are 23 pairs of somatic chromosomes in humans, for a total of 46 chromosomes.
cromasome