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Barr body
[ bahr ]
noun
- a condensed, inactivated X chromosome present in most female mammals in the nuclei of all cells except the germ cells: used, as in sports competitions, to verify that an individual is genetically female.
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51Թ History and Origins
Origin of Barr body1
First recorded in 1960–65; named after Murray L. Barr (1908–88), Canadian physician
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Example Sentences
Examples have not been reviewed.
Historically, sports authorities have required female athletes to be examined naked or to undergo chromosomal testing, in which they looked for a structure called a Barr body, indicating the presence of more than one X chromosome.
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