TOPIC 2
UNIT 5.2 ADVANCED GENETICS
SEX-LINKED GENES
Thomas Hunt Morgan
● In the early 1900s, Thomas Hunt Morgan, performed an
extensive study of inheritance in fruit flies (drosophila),
● He discovered that genes are located on chromosomes
at specific locations.
● Morgan’s findings provided a molecular mechanism for
the model of inheritance that Mendel came up with.
○ Chromosomes explain how genes are made up of
two alleles and how those alleles separate and
assort independently of other genes during gamete
formation
The Molecular
Mechanism of
Inheritance:
Chromosomes!
Genes on Chromosomes: Drosophila Example
Thomas Hunt Morgan
● In his experiments, Morgan worked
with wild type (normal) phenotypes
that were common in the fly
populations and mutant
phenotypes, traits that differed from
the wild type.
● Morgan found that sometimes
certain traits are inherited in ratios
that differ than ones predicted by
Mendel's model of inheritance.
Red Eyes = Wild Type White Eyes = Mutant
Morgan’s Discovery of Sex-Linked Genes
● In one experiment, Morgan mated a P Generation (true-breeding):
true-breeding male fly with white eyes (mutant)
with a true breeding female fly with red eyes RR rr
(wild type), to produce a hybrid F1 generation. F1 Generation: (hybrids)
● All the F1 offspring had red eyes. This matched
the predicted ratio according to Mendel’s model. Rr
● What was surprising was when Morgan crossed Expected F2 Generation:
the F1 generation hybrids to produce an F2 R r
generation. R
○ According to Mendel, the expected RR Rr
red:white eyed phenotypic ratio of a
r
monohybrid cross should be 3:1 Rr rr
Morgan’s Discovery of Sex-Linked Genes
● In Morgan’s F2 generation there was Actual Outcome of Morgan’s Experiment
a 3:1 ratio just like Mendel’s model
predicted.
○ However, the only flies that had
white eyes were all male flies. Female Male
All the females had red eyes.
● Morgan concluded that the gene for
eye color was located on the X
chromosome.
● Further experiments he conducted
confirmed his hypothesis.
W = wild type is
dominant (red eyes)
w = mutant type is
Crosses Involving Sex-Linked Genes recessive (white eyes)
● Genes located on the X chromosome are Sex-Linked Gene Example
called sex-linked genes. Red Eye White Eye
Male Female
● This results in the trait being inherited
differently in males vs. females.
○ Females, who have two X chromosomes
(XX), receive two alleles for the gene
○ Males, who only have one X chromosome
(XY), only receive one allele.
● If a cross produces phenotypic ratios that are
different in the male offspring vs. the female
offspring, then the gene is possibly sex linked.
Crosses Involving Sex-Linked Genes
● For crosses involving sex-linked
Sex-Linked Gene Example
genes, you must keep track of the X Ex: Hemophilia is a sex linked recessive disorder (h). The
and Y chromosomes, because the punnett square below show a cross between a woman
who is a carrier (heterozygous) with a man who does not
parents can only pass on one of have hemophilia
their two sex chromosomes.
● The allele on the X chromosomes is
written as a superscript. The Y
chromosomes will have no
superscript because it does not
carry an allele.
What is a sex-linked gene?
Interactive Notes
Practice! Sex-Linked Genes
1) Colorblindness is a sex-linked gene. Cross a woman who is a carrier for
colorblindness (which is recessive to normal vision) and a man who has normal
vision. What is the probability of having a girl that is colorblind? What is the
probability of having a boy who is colorblind?
HYy DY girl
colorblind
x x XY 50 Colorblindson
2) Is it possible for a colorblind man and a woman who has normal vision (and is
not a carrier) to have a colorblind child?
Kitty No notpossible
xᵗxʰ HY
3) Hemophilia is a recessive sex-linked blood clotting disorder. Cross a
woman who is a carrier for hemophilia and a man who does not have
hemophilia. What is the probability of them having a kid with
hemophilia?
H
Y 25 a boy
X HY
xᵗxⁿ MY Interactive Notes
What is the difference between wild type and
mutant phenotypes? Give a drosophila example of
each. vs short
outanne
long
Interactive Notes
Fill in the Punnett square to determine the
expected outcome from crossing two red-eyed
hybrid flies (Rr)
R r 100 Red
R RR Rr
r Rr Rr
Interactive Notes
