The sex of a newborn child is a matter of chance and none of the parents may be considered responsible for it. Justify this statement with the help of a flow chart showing the determination of sex of a newborn.

The sex of a newborn is determined by the combination of chromosomes inherited from the parents. Each parent contributes one sex chromosome, which can either be an X or a Y. This process is random, leading to the conclusion that neither parent is responsible for the sex of their child.

Understanding Chromosome Contribution

In humans, the sex chromosomes are designated as follows:

• Female: XX (two X chromosomes)
• Male: XY (one X and one Y chromosome)

Flow Chart of Sex Determination

The following flow chart illustrates how the sex of a newborn is determined:

Conclusion

This random combination of chromosomes during fertilization highlights that the sex of a child is purely a matter of chance, and neither parent can be held accountable for the outcome.