Heredity and Variation Part III

Sex Linkage

This is the inheritance of alleles that are on the ________ chromosomes. Some genes that have
nothing to do with sex are carried on the sex chromosomes. The 23 rd pair of chromosomes is
used to determine our sex and is therefore regarded as the sex chromosomes; in humans the X
and Y chromosomes are make up the 23rd pair.

Remember that every human cell, except for ____________ and _____________________,
which have no nucleus, have 23 ____________________ chromosomes. The 23rd chromosome
in males is the only exception to the rule that homologous chromosomes are identical. Female
cells have XX while male cells have XY.

The X and Y chromosomes are compared as follows:

X chromosome Y chromosome
Long Short
Does not contain these genes Possess genes which cause testes to develop
and the production of male sex hormones
Possess genes that control other characteristics Generally believed to not possess other genes

Genes that are carried on the X or Y chromosome are therefore said to be sex-linked.

Characteristics that are controlled by sex-linked ___________ include red-green colour blindness
and haemophilia. These genes are usually carried only on the X chromosome. The
_______________ allele for colour vision is written together with the X chromosome as X N and
the recessive ______________ for colour blindness is written as Xn.

If we consider a couple with normal colour vision produces a colour-blind child, then the genetic
cross can be represented as follows:

Parental phenotypes Carrier Female Normal Male

N n
Parental genotypes X X XNY
Types of gametes XN and Xn XN and Y

Possible offspring
XN Y
genotype
XN X NX N XNY

Xn X NX n XnY

Offspring phenotypes Female with normal vision : Male with normal vision: Female carrier: Colour-blind male

1 : 1 : 1 : 1

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 Questions to consider

1. Can a normal couple ever produce a colour-blind female? Why or why not?
2. Who is more likely to be born with sex-linked conditions, male or female? Why?
3. Using the same principle as above with ‘H’ as the symbol for normal blood, complete the
genetic cross for a normal couple who produces a haemophiliac son.

Parental phenotypes ________________________ ________________________

Parental genotypes _________ __________
Types of gametes ___ and ___ ___ and ___

Possible offspring genotype

Offspring phenotypes Normal female : normal male: carrier female: haemophiliac male
: : :
4. Explain how a red-green colour-blind female could arise.

Sex Determination

This is the determination of a person’s gender based on the different chromosomes in males and
females.

Recall that human body cells each contain 23 _________________ __________________; 22

pairs of what are called autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. In the male the sex
chromosomes consist of one X and one Y chromosome; in the female, the sex chromosomes
consist of two X chromosomes. The odds of making a male is the same as the odds of making a
female as is shown in the Punnett square below:

Parental phenotypes Male Female

Parental genotypes _________ __________
Types of gametes ___ and ___ ___ and ___

Possible offspring genotype

Offspring phenotypes Male : Female

:

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Genetic Engineering (Recombinant DNA technology)

This is process of changing an organism’s characteristics by inserting foreign genes into its
DNA. It is possible to take a ___________ from one organism and transfer it to another.

Genetic engineering involves three stages:

1) A gene is isolated from a donor cell using different enzymes and a gene probe to find the
specific gene
2) The gene is inserted into a carrier (______________) which is a plasmid or virus that can
carry the gene from the donor to the recipient (host). Enzymes are also used to join the
gene to the viral DNA. Typically, viruses that attack yeast or bacteria cells are used.
3) The gene within its vector is transferred to the host which will then produce the desired
chemical through the gene.

Recombinant _________ Technology can be useful for several reasons as follows:

1. The production of human insulin, using bacteria, which can be used to treat Type ___
_____________.
2. The production of human growth hormone, using E. Coli bacteria, to treat a type of
dwarfism that affects about 10 people per million
3. Toxin production in plants to make them resistant to moth and butterfly larvae. The gene
is isolated from a bacteria that produces the toxin and inserted into a ___________ which
is then ______________ to tobacco and tomato plants
4. Herbicide resistance in soya

Several concerns arise from the use of this technology:

1. Genetically modified (GM) crops could escape and create further problems for farmers
than they solve
2. Transgenic bacteria or viruses could mutate and become pathogens that we cannot control
3. Transgenic organisms can upset the ‘balance of nature’ based on growth patterns, feeding
habits and other characteristics
4. Eugenics

*A transgenic organism is one that contains DNA from a different species.

A comparison of DNA and RNA

DNA RNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid Ribonucleic acid
Double stranded Single stranded
Contains deoxyribose sugar Contains ribose sugar
Contains the nitrogen bases: adenine, thymine, Contains the bases adenine, uracil, cytosine
cytosine and guanine and guanine

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