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Chapter 11: Problem 4

What is sex linkage? In mammals, which sex would be most likely to show recessive sex-linked traits?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Sex linkage is the inheritance of traits through genes located on sex chromosomes, specifically X and Y chromosomes in mammals. Males (XY) are more likely to show recessive sex-linked traits because they only need one copy of the recessive allele on their single X chromosome. Females (XX) are less likely, as they need the recessive allele on both X chromosomes to express the trait.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Sex-linked Traits in Mammals

In mammals, there are two types of sex chromosomes: the X chromosome and the Y chromosome. Females typically have two X chromosomes (homozygous; XX), and males have one X and one Y chromosome (heterozygous; XY). Some traits are determined by genes located on the X chromosome (these are called X-linked traits) and some are determined by genes located on the Y chromosome (these are called Y-linked traits).
02

Recessive Sex-linked Traits

If a trait is controlled by a recessive gene on the X chromosome, then a female would only display that trait if she has two copies of the recessive allele (one on each X chromosome). However, for a male, it only takes one copy of the recessive allele on the X chromosome to display the trait as they do not have a second X chromosome. As such, it is more likely for males to display recessive X-linked traits.
03

Most Likely Gender to Show Recessive Sex-linked Traits

In mammals, we find that males are generally more likely to show recessive sex-linked traits than females. This is because males have only one X chromosome and if a recessive allele for a gene is present on that X chromosome, it will be expressed as males lack a second X chromosome. On the other hand, females have two X chromosomes, so they need to have the recessive allele on both of their X chromosomes to express the recessive sex-linked trait. This makes it less likely for females to show these traits compared to males. In conclusion, in mammals, males are more likely to show recessive sex-linked traits.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Define the following terms: gene, allele, dominant, recessive, true-breeding, homozygous, heterozygous, cross-fertilization, and self-fertilization.

Explain the terms incomplete dominance, codominance and multiple alleles. What is the result of differences in inheritance patterns of traits?

What is a pedigree? How are pedigrees for dominant and recessive traits represented?

Explain why genes located on the same chromosome are said to be linked. Why do alleles of linked genes sometimes separate during meiosis?

What is the difference between a phenotype and a genotype? Does knowledge of an organism's phenotype always allow you to determine the genotype? What type of experiment would you perform to determine the genotype of a phenotypically dominant individual?
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