Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Comprehensive Assessment of Germline Chemical Toxicity Using the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
10:55

Comprehensive Assessment of Germline Chemical Toxicity Using the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: February 22, 2015

Caenorhabditis elegans compensates for the difference in X chromosome dosage between the sexes by regulating

B J Meyer, L P Casson

    Cell
    |December 26, 1986
    PubMed

    More Related Videos

    Manipulation of Ploidy in Caenorhabditis elegans07:54

    Manipulation of Ploidy in Caenorhabditis elegans

    Published on: March 15, 2018

    Measuring Embryonic Viability and Brood Size in Caenorhabditis elegans06:24

    Measuring Embryonic Viability and Brood Size in Caenorhabditis elegans

    Published on: February 24, 2023

    Related Concept Videos

    X-linked Traits01:19

    X-linked Traits

    In most mammalian species, females have two X sex chromosomes and males have an X and Y. As a result, mutations on the X chromosome in females may be masked by the presence of a normal allele on the second X. In contrast, a mutation on the X chromosome in males more often causes observable biological defects, as there is no normal X to compensate. Trait variations arising from mutations on the X chromosome are called “X-linked”.
    X-Inactivation01:58

    X-Inactivation

    The human X chromosome contains over ten times the number of genes as in the Y chromosome. Since males have only one X chromosome, and females have two, one might expect females to produce twice as many of the proteins, with undesirable results.
    X and Y Chromosomes02:32

    X and Y Chromosomes

    Among mammals, the gender of an organism is determined by the sex chromosomes. Humans have two sex chromosomes, X and Y. Every human diploid cell has 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. A human female has two X chromosomes, while a male has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome.
    The germline cells such as egg and sperm cells carry only half the number of chromosomes, i.e., 22 autosomes and one sex chromosome. All eggs have an X chromosome, while sperm cells can carry an X or...
    The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes02:45

    The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

    In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.  
    Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female Drosophila...
    Dosage Compensation02:50

    Dosage Compensation

    In animals, gender is determined by the number and type of sex chromosome. For example, human females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome, whereas C.elegans with one X chromosome is a male, and the one with two X chromosomes is a hermaphrodite.
    In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with  distinct numbers of X chromosomes will have...
    X-inactivation01:58

    X-inactivation

    The human X chromosome contains over ten times the number of genes as in the Y chromosome. Since males have only one X chromosome, and females have two, one might expect females to produce twice as many of the proteins, with undesirable results.