Y chromosome

The Y chromosome is a human sex chromosome typically inherited from father to son. Most of it does not recombine with the X chromosome, allowing distinct patterns of inheritance and change.

SRY: A gene on the Y chromosome that usually initiates testis development in humans. SRY is the key trigger linking the Y chromosome to the usual developmental pathway for male sex.
Chromosome: A DNA molecule packaged with proteins that carries genetic information in a cell. The Y is one member of the chromosome set in human cells.
Evolution of sex chromosomes: The evolutionary transformation of ordinary chromosomes into distinct sex chromosomes. The human Y arose as its ancestral chromosome diverged from the X.
Y-chromosome DNA test: A genetic test that analyzes Y-linked variants to investigate paternal-line ancestry or identity. Y variants can trace paternal lineages because they usually pass from father to son.
Y chromosome persistence: The question of how long the human Y chromosome and its current gene set will persist. Gene loss has prompted competing predictions about the Y’s long-term future.
Pseudoautosomal region: A region shared by the X and Y chromosomes where they can pair and recombine during meiosis. These regions are the main exceptions to the Y chromosome’s usual lack of recombination with the X.
DNA: The molecule that stores hereditary information in most living organisms. The Y chromosome consists chiefly of DNA carrying genes and repetitive sequences.
Mammalian sex chromosomes: The X and Y chromosomes that determine sex in most mammals. The human Y belongs to a chromosome system shared across most mammals.
Genetic genealogy: The use of DNA variation to investigate biological ancestry and family relationships. Y-chromosome comparisons can connect men through shared paternal-line ancestors.
Y chromosome polymorphism: Genetic variation among Y chromosomes in a population. Variation complicates attempts to infer paternal history from a single Y-linked marker.

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