XYY syndrome
Background
XYY syndrome is a chromosomal condition which occurs only in males and is found with a frequency of 1 in 1,000. A chromosome is a rod-like structure present in the nucleus of all body cells, with the exception of the red blood cells. Chromosomes store genetic information. Normally humans have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes, forty-six chromosomes in total. The twenty-thirdrd pair, otherwise referred to as the sex chromosomes, store genetic information which determine our sex. A female has a XX pair and a male has a XY pair of chromosomes.
A male affected by XYY syndrome has an additional Y chromosome as well as the usual XY pair of chromosomes resulting in the formation of XYY. Sometimes the additional Y chromosome is present in only some of the cells of the body, but not all. This is referred to as a mosaic form of XYY syndrome. The extent to which such an individual is affected by XYY syndrome depends upon the proportion of XYY cells to XY cells throughout the body.