Question

If the first seven children born to a particular pair of parents are all males, what is the probability that the eighth child will also be a male?

• A. $\frac{1}{2}$
• B. $\frac{1}{4}$
• C. $\frac{1}{8}$
• D. $\frac{1}{16}$

Answer 1

The correct option is A $\frac{1}{2}$

The sex of an individual depends on the combination of sex chromosomes in its cells, that is, the combination of X and Y chromosomes. An embryo with XX genotype would develop into a female, while an embryo with an XY would develop into a male. The mother has a genotype and would always produce gametes with an X chromosome. The father, however, would produce half the gametes having an X chromosome and half carrying a Y chromosome. The sex of the embryo in humans would hence depend on the chromosome present in the gamete of the father. For every child conceived, there is an equal probability of the child being a male or a female, as the gamete received from the father has a 50% chance of carrying an X chromosome and 50% chance of carrying a Y chromosome.

So, the correct answer is $\frac{1}{2}$