Question

Sex determination of foetus is banned because it leads to
(a) Malformation
(b) Infection and diseases
(c) Chromosome aberrations
(d) Female foeticide

Answer 1

Due to the emergence of various techniques, determining the sex of a foetus has become relatively easier. But lately, they have been misused which reflect the cultural mindset of Indian society and thus, banned by the government.

Complete answer:
The sex determination is banned in India under Pre-conception and pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act which was enacted in 1994. This act aims to prevent any parent from aborting the child on the basis of sex. The female foetuses once identified through techniques like ultrasound and amniocentesis, were aborted in India. This practice is known as female foeticide and is still prevalent in many corners of India even though it is illegal.

Additional Information: - A human has 23 pair of chromosomes, out of which, the 23rd pair of the chromosomes are known as the sex chromosomes. The primary sex determination is based on the presence of the Y-chromosomes. It is known as the XY- chromosomal system of sex-determination. Females bear a pair of X-chromosomes i.e XX as their sex chromosomes while males bear the XY genetic composition of sex chromosomes.
-Amniocentesis is a prenatal diagnosis technique, in which a sample of amniotic fluid is taken from the womb of a pregnant woman during the early stages of foetal development. The cells are further cultured and analysed in the laboratories. The results obtained are useful in the diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities or detection of any developmental disorders. However, it was being misused by some people for determining the sex of the foetus and killing the female foetuses.
-Ultrasound is a non-invasive technique where the ultrasonic waves are used for the direct visualisation of the foetus in the mother’s womb. But, in some cases, they were also misused for female foeticide.
-A chromosomal aberration or disorder is caused due to an absence or excess or abnormal arrangement of one or more chromosomes. They may result in aneuploidy or polyploidy.
So, the correct answer is ‘Female foeticide.’

Note: -Aneuploidy is a condition of failure of chromosomal segregation during cell division and resulting in the loss or gain of a chromosome
- Polyploidy differs in a way that there is an increase in a whole set of chromosomes in an organism i.e instead of two chromosomes in a pair of homologous chromosomes, there may be a group of three or four chromosomes in a set of homologous chromosomes.