How Is Colorblindness Transmitted?

1 Copy the data table below into your notebook. 7 Record the data about the beans you picked.

• Record the colors of the 2 beans in your

Number of data table.
X-linked
Alleles for
• Record the sex of an individual who
Sex of Colorblind?
Trial Colors Individual Colorblindness (Yes/No) would carry this pair of sex chromosomes.
1 WB M 0 NO • Record how many X-linked alleles the
2 WW F 1 No individual has.
3 WW F 2 YES • Put the beans back in the cups they
4 WB M 1 YESV came from.
5 WW F 1 NO
6
• Determine whether the individual would
WB M 0 no
have colorblindness.
7 WB m 1 YES
8 WW F 1 No 8 Repeat steps 6 and 7 for a total of 10 pairs
9 WB M 1 YES of beans.
10 WW F 2 YES Analyze and Conclude

2 Label one plastic cup Mother and a second
plastic cup Father.
3 The white beans represent X chromosomes.
• Use a black marker to make a dot on each
of 2 white beans. The dot represents the
X-linked allele for colorblindness.
• Place 1 marked bean
into each plastic cup.
4 Place 1 more white bean
into the cup labeled
Mother.
5 Red beans represent
Y chromosomes. Place 1
red bean into the cup labeled Father.
6 Close your eyes and pick one bean from
each cup. This represents how each parent
contributes a sex chromosome to a
fertilized egg.
1. Relate Cause and Effect How do human sex
chromosomes keep the numbers of males and
females roughly equal?
2. Calculate Calculate the class totals for each
data column.
a. How many females were colorblind?
2
Number of colorblind females = ________
Percentage of females who were
20%
colorblind = ________
b. How many males were colorblind?
3
Number of colorblind males = _________
Percentage of males who were
30%
colorblind = _________
3. Interpret Data How did the genotype of the
parents affect your results?
Many physical traits like hair color and texture, eye color, and skin color are determined
by the genotypes that parents pass down to their children. In one sense, the term
“genotype”—like the term “genome”—refers to the entire set of genes in the cells of an
organism.
In Your Workbook Get more help for this
activity in your workbook.

338 Chapter 14 • Lesson 1