- Autosome
- A chromosome that is not a sex chromosome. In other words, any one of the chromosomes save the sex chromosomes. People normally have 22 pairs of autosomes in every cell (together with two sex chromosomes — an X and a Y in the male and two Xs in the female — for a total of 46 chromosomes). The term "autosome" was coined by Montgomery in 1906.
* * *Any chromosome other than a sex chromosome; autosomes normally occur in pairs in somatic cells and singly in gametes. SYN: euchromosome. [auto- + G. soma, body]
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au·to·some 'ȯt-ə-.sōm n a chromosome other than a sex chromosome called also nonsex chromosome compare ALLOSOMEau·to·so·mal .ȯt-ə-'sō-məl adjau·to·so·mal·ly -mə-lē adv* * *
n.any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome and occurs in pairs in diploid cells.• autosomal adj.* * *
au·to·some (awґto-sōm) [auto- + -some] any of the chromosomes other than the pair of sex chromosomes; in humans there are 22 pairs of autosomes. autosomal adj
Medical dictionary. 2011.