Human Genetics:

Sex-linked Traits
Human Genes - Sex linked Genes

Only a few genes, none essential to survival, are

located within the Y chromosome.

However, many important genes are located within

the X chromosome; some essential to survival.

Genes on the X chromosome are called X-Linked

Genes and the traits are called X-linked traits.
X-Linked Traits

Many genetic disorders located on the X chromosome are

more common in males than in females because a male with
a copy of the allele that causes disease will always express it,
even if its recessive (since he only has one copy).

Examples of X-Linked Gene disorders: color blindness,

hemophilia and balding.
1.

You should
see 58 (upper
left), 18
(upper right),
E (lower left)
and 17 (lower
right).

Color blindness is the inability to distinguish the differences between certain

colors. The most common type is red-green color blindness, where red and
green are seen as the same color.
Do one on your own.
A man with hemophilia marries a woman who is a carrier for
hemophilia. How many of their children will have hemophilia?

Dad:

Mom:

2 out of 4 will have

hemophilia