Exemplar Problems

Question:

In our society, women are often blamed for giving birth to daughters. Can you explain why this is not correct?

Answer:

This blame is scientifically incorrect because the sex of a baby is determined by the type of sperm that fertilizes the woman’s egg. Females have two X chromosomes (XX), and males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY). The mother always contributes an X chromosome to the child, while the father contributes either an X or a Y chromosome. If the sperm carrying an X chromosome fertilizes the egg, the baby will be female (XX), and if a Y-carrying sperm fertilizes the egg, the baby will be male (XY). Therefore, it is the male’s sperm that determines the sex of the child, not the female’s egg.