The ova (gametes) produced by a woman contain 1 type of sex chromosome.
In human females, the sex chromosomes are typically XX, meaning each egg cell receives only one X chromosome during meiosis.
Meiosis is the special cell division process that reduces the chromosome number by half to produce gametes.
As a result, each ovum carries a single set of chromosomes, including exactly one sex chromosome, which is always X.
This is in contrast to male gametes (sperm), which can carry either an X or a Y chromosome, determining the sex of the offspring.
Since females do not have a Y chromosome, all ova have only the X type of sex chromosome.
This ensures that the sex of the child depends on the type of sperm that fertilizes the ovum.
Understanding the number and type of sex chromosomes in gametes is crucial for genetics and inheritance studies.
Therefore, a woman’s ovum contains only one type of sex chromosome, the X chromosome.
This fundamental principle explains the biological basis of sex determination in humans.