Codominance and sex linkage
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| codominance | 共显性 | gòng xiǎn xìng |
| sex linkage | 伴性遗传 | bàn xìng yí chuán |
| sex chromosomes | 性染色体 | xìng rǎn sè tǐ |
| colour blindness | 色盲 | sè máng |
When inheritance is more complex
- Not every trait is a simple dominant-or-recessive. Some alleles share the spotlight, and some traits depend on your sex.
- These are codominance 共显性 and sex linkage 伴性遗传.
In codominance:
Both alleles are expressed (e.g. blood group AB).
A person with both A and B blood-group alleles has blood group ______.
Codominance gives group AB.
Codominance
- In codominance, both alleles show their effect in a heterozygote.
- Example: in blood groups, a person with both A and B alleles has blood group AB.
XX x XY gives a 1:1 ratio of girls to boys; the sperm decides the sex
Codominance cross
When both alleles show in the phenotype (codominance), the heterozygote shows BOTH features — work it out with a Punnett square.
The sex chromosomes of a human male are:
Males are XY; females are XX.
Whose gamete determines the sex of a baby?
The mother always gives X; the father gives X or Y.
Sex chromosomes 性染色体
- Sex is determined by the sex chromosomes: XX (female) and XY (male).
- The father's gamete (X or Y) determines the baby's sex.
Recessive sex-linked conditions affect males more often than females.
Males have only one X, so a single recessive allele shows.
Sex linkage
- A sex-linked gene is carried on the X chromosome.
- Because males have only one X, they are more likely to show recessive sex-linked conditions (like red-green colour blindness 色盲).
Sex-linked recessive conditions affect more males. A male has only one X chromosome, so a single recessive allele on it will show. A female would need it on both X chromosomes.
You've got it
- codominance: both alleles show (e.g. blood group AB)
- sex chromosomes: XX = female, XY = male; the father determines sex
- sex-linked genes are on the X — recessive ones affect males more often