RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Spatial relationship of human X and Y chromosomes at somatic metaphase. JF Journal of Medical Genetics JO J Med Genet FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP 450 OP 451 DO 10.1136/jmg.20.6.450 VO 20 IS 6 A1 Dosik, D A1 Verma, R S YR 1983 UL http://jmg.bmj.com/content/20/6/450.abstract AB A total of 592 cells was examined from 38 normal humans who had either small or very large Y chromosomes. Chromosome identification was based on the QFQ technique. The distance between the X and Y chromosome was measured from centromere to centromere. The spatial distance between X and Y was significantly smaller when the Y was small as compared to a very large Y (p less than 0.05). The distance increased as the length of the Y chromosome increased and a significant correlation coefficient (r = 0.58) was found (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that the length of the Y chromosome appears to play a major role in the non-random distribution of X and Y at somatic metaphase. The size and XY relationship in aneuploidy resulting from paternal non-disjunction and in patients with XXY and XYY should be investigated.