Sex Determination &

Sex-Linked Traits

Red-green colourblindness
Hemophilia
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
 What is the difference between an
Autosome and a Sex-chromosome?
Autosomes are the first
22 homologous pairs of
human chromosomes
that do not influence
the sex of an individual.

Sex Chromosomes are

the 23rd pair of
chromosomes that
determine the sex of an
individual
Sex Determination:
How many chromosomes do humans
have?
How many of these are sex
chromosomes?
Which parent determines the sex of an
offspring?
Are there any traits/conditions that are
more common in one sex than the
other?
Sex Chromosomes:

Which is male? female?

What is the genotype of each sex?
Which parent determines the sex of the offspring?
 Sex-Linked Traits:
Some genes are found on the sex chromosomes
Some are found on the X sex chrom. but not the Y
Ex the colour vision gene is on the X chromosome
- NOT FOUND ON THE Y

Sex-linked traits are RECESSIVE (mostly) traits

that are found on the x sex chromosome
 Hypertrichosis
Human Werewolf Syndrome:

Congenital generalized
hypertrichosis (CGH)
Rare, X-linked dominant trait
Found in a single multigenerational
Mexican family
 Why do males go bald???
Females have 2 X chromosomes so they can be
carriers for the sex-linked trait but their phenotype is
the normal condition
One of the chromosomes can mask the sex-linked
trait
Males have only 1X chromosome so if they get the
recessive trait that is a sex-linked trait, then they will
show it.
 Can you see the hidden numbers?
Colourblindness Self Test:

NUMBERS: 5 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 10 |
Hidden Shapes:

SHAPES:
Plate 1 - Circle and arch
Plate 2 - Circle, star and square
Red-green colorblindness is a recessive sex-linked trait, found on the X
chromosome, not the Y.
Males only have one X chromosome, they have a much greater chance
of having red-green colorblindness.
Females would have to be homozygous recessive in order to have red-
green colorblindness.
Writing Sex-linked genotypes:
More practice:
Another one.
A man with normal vision marries a
woman who is a carrier for colour
blindness. What are the possible
genotypes and phenotypes of their
children.
Just one more.
A hemophiliac man marries a woman
who is a carrier for the disease. What
are the possible geno/phenotypes of
their children? Should they even
consider having children?
 Practice problems:
Try this quiz on Sex-linked genes
http://www.ksu.edu/biology/pob/genetics/xlinked.htm
Complete the problem set on sex-linked
traits
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/mendelian_genetics/problem
_sets/sex_linked_inheritance/sex_linked_inheritance.html
Writeyour answers out include the
punnett squares that are necessary to
figure the answer out!