how is a babies dna really determined?is the mother chromosome or the father?
The egg from the mother has 23 chromosomes, the sprem from the father has 23 chromosomes. When they join together in fertilization, the two sets come together. They make the 46 chromosomes (23 pairs) found in humans. So you are half your mother and half your father. However, when joined, they go through a process called genetic recombination. Some of the genes on the chromosomes can move or switch places, creating different combinations. This is one of the reasons why every person born is different. The gender of the baby is determined by the father however. The 23rd chromosome in humans determines their sex. All females have the pair, XX so when their body creates eggs, they all contain an X chromosome. Males, however, have XY. So when their bodies create sperm, they can have either X or Y. When an egg and sperm meet, the egg will always provide an X, while the sperm may provide either an X or Y, determining the gender of the fetus.
