Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
Which statement best describes how X chromosomes are inactivated in female mammals?
A
One of the two X chromosomes in each cell is randomly inactivated during early embryonic development.
B
The paternal X chromosome is always inactivated in every cell.
C
Both X chromosomes are completely inactivated in all cells to prevent gene expression.
D
X-inactivation only occurs in male mammals to balance gene dosage.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of X chromosome inactivation, which is a process that occurs in female mammals to balance the gene dosage between males (XY) and females (XX).
Recall that females have two X chromosomes, but to prevent having double the amount of X-linked gene products compared to males, one X chromosome in each cell is inactivated.
Recognize that this inactivation happens randomly in each cell during early embryonic development, meaning either the maternal or paternal X chromosome can be inactivated in different cells.
Note that this inactivation is stable and maintained in all descendant cells, leading to a mosaic pattern of X chromosome expression in females.
Eliminate incorrect options by understanding that the paternal X is not always inactivated, both X chromosomes are not completely inactivated, and X-inactivation does not occur in males.