How many pairs of chromosomes do humans have?
Disease description:
I experienced recurrent miscarriages, so I underwent chromosomal testing. My doctor informed me that there were some chromosomal abnormalities. As I am not very familiar with chromosomes, could you please tell me how many pairs of chromosomes humans have?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhou Qi
Humans have a total of 23 pairs of chromosomes—46 chromosomes in all—including one pair of sex chromosomes and 22 pairs of autosomes. (Note: The original Chinese text incorrectly states “23 pairs of autosomes”; the correct number is 22 pairs of autosomes plus 1 pair of sex chromosomes, totaling 23 pairs.) Chromosome number is fixed and does not increase or decrease; any deviation in chromosome number indicates chromosomal abnormality, which may lead to adverse clinical manifestations. In females, such abnormalities often result in spontaneous abortion during pregnancy, may cause congenital disorders in the fetus, and are associated with reduced fetal viability.
