What is the Human Karyotype?

Normal Human Karyotype Chromosomes in Pairs - Photographic Print

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The poster illustrates the standard human karyotype really well. You can see 22 matched pairs. The final, 23rd, pair can be made up of either two X chromosomes or one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. Typically women have two X chromosomes; men have one X an one Y. Since we all acquired 23 chromosomes (ie one of each pair) from our mothers and another 23 from out fathers, every child will inherit an X chormosome from his/her mother but may inherit either an X or a Y chromosome from his/her father.

If the child inherits an X chromosome from her father she will have a typical human female karyotype - 46,XX. The number shows she has 46 chromosomes in total and the XX shows that the final pair is two Xs.

If a child inherits a Y chromosome from his father he will have a typical male karyotype - 47,XY.

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