Sex Linked Inheritance
• The genes present on sex chromosomes determine the
phenotype of the particular trait in an individual
• Those characters are sex linked.
• Linkage of such genes is also known as sex linkage
• Present in individuals that show heteromorphic pattern of XY
sex determination
• Animals and some plants have male and female cells with distinct
chromosome sets, due to sex chromosomes. One sex has a matched pair
(e.g., human females with XX) and the other has an unmatched pair
(human male with XY).
• Autosomes are chromosomes other than sex chromosomes.
Sex determination mechanisms
• Heterogametic Males(XX-XY)(XX-XO)
• Heterogametic Females(ZZ-ZW)(ZZ-ZO)
X-Linked White Eyes in Drosophila
• Appearance of rare phenotypes was associated with the
inheritance of particular chromosomes
• Sex-linked genes are located on the X chromosome
• The wild-type eye color of Drosophila is dull red, but pure
lines with white eyes are available.
• Allele for white is recessive
• White-eyed females would possess two X chromosomes and
one Y and that red-eyed males would possess a single X
chromosome
X-Linked Color Blindness in Humans
• Human eye detects only three colors—red, green
and blue
• Affected woman passes the X-linked recessive trait
to her sons but not to her daughters
• Affected man passes the trait to his grandsons
through his daughters but never to his sons
• Pattern of inheritance exhibited by X-linked
recessive characteristics is sometimes called
crisscross inheritance
Result from a defect in one of three genes found on X
chromosome
Z-Linked Characteristics
ZZ-ZW and ZZ-ZO sex determination Ex: Birds, Fishes
• males are the homogametic sex (AAZZ)
• Females are the heterogametic sex (AAZW)
• Same as that of X-linked characteristics, except that the pattern of
inheritance in males and females is reversed
• Z-linked characteristic is the cameo phenotype in Indian blue peafowl
