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Multiple Choice
How many sex chromosomes do humans typically have in each somatic cell?
A
46
B
23
C
1
D
2
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that humans have a total of 46 chromosomes in each somatic (body) cell, arranged in 23 pairs.
Recognize that out of these 23 pairs, 22 pairs are autosomes, which are chromosomes that do not determine sex.
Identify that the remaining 1 pair (2 chromosomes) are sex chromosomes, which determine the biological sex of the individual.
Recall that females typically have two X chromosomes (XX), and males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY), so in either case, there are 2 sex chromosomes per somatic cell.
Therefore, the number of sex chromosomes in each human somatic cell is 2.