The egg and the sperm each contain 23 chromosomes.

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Chromosomes are long, string-like structures composed of the genetic material known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Chromosomes

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

The union of the sperm and egg cause genetic variation. In humans the sperm and egg, each contain 23 chromosomes. The fertilization process starts as there are 100 million sperm and one egg.

Fertilization

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a helix-shaped molecule composed of nucleotide base pairs. It serves as the genetic material that constitutes long strings known as chromosomes.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

Based on your understanding of the fundamental role of chromosomes, explain why having an extra copy of a chromosome can lead to significant developmental and health issues.

Implications of Chromosomal Variations

An individual's genetic makeup is examined, and it is found that their somatic (non-sex) cells contain 47 chromosomes, including three copies of a specific autosome, instead of the usual 46. Based on the fundamental role of chromosomes as carriers of genetic information, what is the most direct and significant implication of this finding?

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