SEX LINKAGE

WHAT IS SEX LINKAGE?

 Is the phenotypic expression of an allele that is dependent
on the gender of the individual and is directly tied to the
sex chromosomes.

The patterns of inheritance and presentation on the gene

mutation is present on a sex chromosome raher than a
non-sex chromosome

The tendency for certain inherited characteristics to occur

far more frequently in one sex than the other.
THOMAS HUNT MORGAN

• American Evolutionary Biologist,

Geneticist, Embryologist, Science Author
who won the noble prize in Physiology or
Medicine in 1933 for discoveries
elucidating the role that the chromosomes
plays in heredity.

• Discovered the white-eyed mutation in

fruit fly, drosophila
An experiment by Morgan in 1910 with the white-eyed fruit flies led to the
discovery of sex-linked traits. Fruit flies normally have red eyes Morgan
and his group found a white-eyed male fruit fly among their culture. They
crossed this white-eyed male to red-eyed female. All the offspring F1 have
red eyes. Morgan concluded that white eye in fruit flies may be caused by
mutation, a spontaneous change in the gene or chromosome.
•Because the gene for eye color is inherited
differently in fruit flies, Morgan interpreted
that this characteristic is borne in the X
chromosome, and that the allele for red eye
is dominant over that for white eyes.
HEMOPHILIA
 Is a bleeding disorder that slows the blood clotting process.
 People with this condition experience prolonged bleeding or oozing
following an injury, surgery, or having a tooth pulled.
 In severe cases of hemophilia, injury (spontaneous) bleeding.
Is a coagulation disorder arising from a genetic defect of the X
chromosome.
Any of several hereditary blood-coagulation disorders in which the
blood fails to clot normally because of a deficiency or abnormality of
one of the clotting factors.
 CAUSES OF HEMOPHILIA
Lack of formation of prothrombin activator

1. Defiency of factor VIII, IX, XI

It is caused due to genetic mutation.

TYPES OF HEMOPHILIA

A B C

It is the most severe common It is the second most common It is a mild form of hemophilia.
type of hemophilia. type of hemophilia. (Mild)
(Severe) (Moderate)

It is also known as factor VIII It was originally “Christmas Deficiency of factor XI.
deficiency or classic hemophilia. disease.” Caused by factor IX
deficiency
 EXAMPLE

Queen Victoria of England was a carrier of the gene foe hemophilia. She passed
the harmful allele for the X-linked trait on to one of her four sons and at two of
her five daughters. Her son Leopold had the disease and died at age 30, while her
daughters were only carriers. As a result of marrying into other European royal
families, the princesses Alice and Beatrice spread hemophilia to Russia, Germany,
and Spain. By the early 20th century, ten of Victoria’s descendants had
hemophilia. All of them were men, as expected.
PEDIGREE: QUEEN VICTORIA’S
FAMILY
COLOR BLINDNESS
 Is a defect of vision affecting the ability to distinguish
colors, occurring mostly in males.

Color blindness is caused by a defect in the retina or in

other nerve portions of the eye.

 Also known as dichromatism, this disease consists of the

inability to differentiate between reds and greens.
Normally, there are three kinds of cones (each one sensitive
to a specific range of wavelengths):

“red” cones (64%)

“green” cones (32%)
“blue” cones (2%)

The different kinds of inherited color blindness result from

partial or complete loss of function of one or more of the
different cone systems.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLOR
BLINDNESS

RED-GREEN COLOR BLINDNESS

 The most common type of color blindness.

 Due to the loss or limited function of red cone or green cone
photopigments.
BLUE-YELLOW COLOR BLINDNESS

Rarer than red-green color blindness.

In this type of color blindness the Blue-cone photopigments are either
missing or have limited functions.

COMPLETE COLOR BLINDNESS

People with complete color blindness don’t experience color at all and
the clearness of their vision may also be affected.