Your Genome

Your genome is a label for who you are genetically; your complete set of genetic information encoded within 23 pairs of chromosomes in the cell nuclei. And what are chromosomes? A chromosome is a piece of coiled DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid); a biomolecule that holds the blueprint for how you, a living organism, was built. You may recall (if you have studied Biology) that chromosome pairs 1-22 are numbered by size and appearance. Normally, they are the same in males and females and come from the person’s two biological parents. The 23^rd pair is known as the sex chromosomes. The typical pattern for females is XX and for males an XY combination. This means, of course, that it is the male (who has a Y chromosome) who primarily determines whether his biological child will have two XXs or an XY combination.