What are the sex chromosomes carried by males?

Males carry XY sex chromosomes, which are unlike each other. This differentiation is crucial to determining male sex characteristics in many organisms, including humans. The X chromosome contains a range of genes that are vital for various functions and traits, while the Y chromosome carries genes that are primarily responsible for male sex determination and spermatogenesis.

The presence of both an X and a Y chromosome means that males have a unique combination of genetic material that leads to the expression of male-specific traits. In contrast, the other options either reference chromosome pairs that do not correctly represent male sex chromosomes or suggest a similarity in chromosome types that does not apply to the male genetic makeup. For example, identical chromosomes, as in the XX pairing, would typically indicate the female sex in many species, while YY does not occur in natural mammalian systems, and would not be applicable. Thus, recognizing that the XY configuration characterizes males is essential in the study of genetics and sex determination.