w chromosome

<genetics> A sex chromosome found in all birds and certain other animals where the female is the heterogametic sex. The W chromosome causes the individual to become female in bird species. It is part of the WZ set of sex chromosomes, where the female has one W chromosome and one Z chromosome, and the male has two Z chromosomes.

(09 Oct 1997)


Terms mentioned in text: genetics, sex chromosome, birds, animals, female, heterogametic sex, chromosome, causes, individual, species, part, set, sex, chromosomes, z chromosome, male
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