Does the sex of the child depend on the father or is it just a matter of chance? Discuss.
Does the sex of the child depend on the father or is it just a matter of chance? Discuss.

The sex of the baby depends on the type of sperm that fertilizes the egg. The egg contains only one X chromosome, but half of the sperm released into the vagina during coitus carries X and the remaining half contains Y. It’s just a matter of chance what kind of sperm mixes with the egg:

1. When an egg (X) is combined with an X-carrying sperm, the resulting mixture is XX, e.g. the constitution of the woman and the child produced is a daughter.

2. When an egg (X) is combined with a Y-carrying sperm, the resulting compound is XY, meaning the the child produced is a son.

All eggs are the same (each has an X-chromosome), but sperms can have an X- or Y-chromosome (50% of each type). The type of sperm fertilized by an egg determines whether the baby will be male or female.