Female chromosomes Light micrograph of a normal female karyotype the full complement of female chromosomes arranged in numbered homologous pairs They are numbered from top left to bottom right the last pair being the sex chromosomes They are obtained by matching unpaired chromosomes during the metaphase stage of cell division Each member of a homologous pair is similar in length banding pattern Male female sets differ only in the sex chromosome a male is labelled XY a female XX Each human cell contains chromosomes in total of maternal of paternal origin Magnification x at xcm size