Lymm High School

17.6 SEX LINKED INHERITANCE

Q1.          A single gene controls the presence of hair on the skin of cattle. The gene is carried
on the X chromosome. Its dominant allele causes hair to be present on the skin and its
recessive allele causes hairlessness.

The diagram shows the pattern of inheritance of these alleles in a group of cattle.

(a)     Use evidence from the diagram to explain

(i)      that hairlessness is caused by a recessive allele

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(2)

(ii)     that hairlessness is caused by a gene on the X chromosome.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(1)

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(b)     What is the probability of the next calf born to animals 5 and 6 being hairless?
Complete the genetic diagram to show how you arrived at your answer.
 
Phenotypes of parents Female with hair Male with hair

Genotypes of parents .................................... ...................................

Gametes .................................... ...................................

 
Genotypes of offspring ....................................................................

Phenotypes of offspring ....................................................................

Probability of next calf being ....................................................................

hairless

(4)
(Total 7 marks)

Q2.          Colour blindness is controlled by a gene on the X chromosome. The allele for colour
blindness, X , is recessive to the allele for normal colour vision, X . The gene controlling
b B

the presence of a white streak in the hair is not sex linked, with the allele for the presence
of a white streak, H, being dominant to the allele for the absence of a white streak, h.

(a)     Explain why colour blindness is more common in men than in women.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
(2)

(b)     The diagram shows a family tree in which some of the individuals have colour
blindness or have a white streak present in the hair.

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(i)      What are the genotypes of individuals 5 and 6?

         Individual 5

.............................................................................................................

         Individual 6

.............................................................................................................
(2)

(ii)     Give the possible genotypes of the gametes produced by

         individual 5;

.............................................................................................................

         individual 6.

.............................................................................................................
(1)

(iii)     What is the probability that the first child of individuals 5 and 6 will be a colour
blind boy with a white streak in his hair? Show your working.

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Answer ............................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

Q3.          (a)     A protein found on red blood cells, called antigen G, is coded for by a dominant
allele of a gene found on the X chromosome. There is no corresponding gene on the Y
chromosome. The members of one family were tested for the presence of antigen G in the
blood. The antigen was found in the daughter, her father and her father’s mother, as shown
in the genetic diagram below. No other members had the antigen.
 
Grandmother            Grandfather     Grandmother         Grandfather
(has antigen G)
 

Genotypes      ........... or...........         ...............               ...............               ...............

 

Gamete           ........... or...........         ...............               ...............               ...............

genotype

Father                                              Mother
                      (has antigen G)

Genotypes                             ............                                              ............

 

Gamete                                  ............                                              ............

genotypes

Daughter
                                                    (has antigen G)

Genotype                                                              ............
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(i)      One of the grandmothers has two possible genotypes. Write these on the genetic
diagram, using the symbol X to show the presence of the allele for antigen G on the X
G

chromosome, and X for its absence.

g

(1)

(ii)     Complete the rest of the diagram.

(3)

(iii)     The mother and father have a son. What is the probability of this son inheriting antigen G?
Explain your answer.

Probability .....................................................

.............................................................................................................
(2)

(b)     During meiosis, when the X and Y chromosomes pair up, they do not form a typical
bivalent as do other chromosomes. Explain why.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q4.          A sex-linked gene controls fur colour in cats. Ginger-coloured fur is controlled by the
allele G, and black-coloured fur is controlled by the allele g. Some female cats have
ginger and black patches of fur. They are described as tortoiseshell. Male cats cannot be
tortoiseshell.

(a)     What is meant by a sex-linked gene?

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
(1)

(b)     A male cat with the genotype X Y mates with a tortoiseshell female.
g

(i)      Give the phenotype of the male.

.............................................................................................................
(1)

(ii)     Give the genotype of the tortoiseshell female.

.............................................................................................................
(1)
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(iii)     Complete the genetic diagram to show the genotypes and the ratio of
phenotypes expected in the offspring of this cross.

Parents                                     Male                     Tortoiseshell female

Parental genotypes                  X Y                        ........................

g

Parental gametes

Offspring genotypes

Offspring phenotypes

Ratio

 
(3)

(c)     The effect of the G and g alleles is modified by another gene. This gene is not sex-
linked and it has two alleles. The allele d changes the ginger colour to cream and
the black colour to grey. The dominant allele D does not modify the effect of G or g.

A cream-coloured male cat mated with a black female whose genotype was X X Dd. g g

Male kittens of two different colours were produced. Complete the genetic diagram.

          Parental                                  Cream-coloured                     Black

phenotypes                                     male                              female

          Parental                                    .....................                        X X Dd

g g

genotypes

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          Parental
gametes

          Male kitten

genotypes

          Male kitten

colours

 
(3)
(Total 9 marks)

M1.         (a)      (i)     1.       Animal 2 / 5 has hair but offspring do not;

Accept parents as alternative to animals 2 and 5

2.      So 2 / 5 parents must be heterozygous / carriers;

1 + 3: Allow reference to children / offspring for animals 7 + 8

        OR

3.      4 / 7 / 8 are hairless but parents have hair;

Ignore reference to individuals 1 and 6

4.      So 2 / 5 must be heterozygous/carriers;

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(ii)     Hairless males have fathers with hair / 4 is hairless but 1 is hairy / 7 and/
or 8 are hairless but 6 is hairy / only males are hairless;
Ignore references to other individuals
Ignore reference to genotypes
Allow credit for candidate who states that evidence is not
conclusive / pedigree possible with autosomal character;
1

(b)                        Accept any letter for gene but capital letter must represent dominant
                   allele.

1.      Parental genotypes
X X and X Y
H h H

Gametes
X X X Y;
H h H

1.   Both parental genotypes and gametes must be correct

2.      Genotypes of offspring
X X , X Y, X X , X Y;
H H H H h h

2.   Allow for offspring genotypes correctly derived from

gametes given by candidate;

3.      Phenotypes of offspring
female with hair
male with hair
male hairless;
3.  Allow phenotypes correctly derived from offspring
genotype
    Allow H ≡ X , h ≡ X
H h

4.      0.25 / ¼ / 1 in 4 / 25 %
4.  Ignore 1:3 in context of correct probability
    Reject 1:4
4
[7]

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M2.          (a)     males are XY and females XX / males have one X chromosome and
females two X chromosomes;
males only have one allele (of the gene) present / recessive allele
always expressed;
colour blindness is masked in heterozygote / female needs 2 recessive
alleles to be colour blind;
2 max

(b)     (i)      5 - hh X Y;
b

6 - Hh X X ;
B b

(ii)     h X , h Y, and H X , h X , H X , hX ;
b B B b b

(iii)     1/8 or 12.5% or 0.125;;

either
genetic diagram to show genotypes Hh X X , Hh X Y, hh X X , b b B B b

hh X Y, HHX X , Hh X Y, hh X X ; hh X Y;
B b b b b b b

1/8;
or
P (boy) = 0.5, P (colour blind) = 0.5, P (white streak) = 0.5;
(0.5 × 0.5 × 0.5 =) 0.125;
2
[7]

M3.          (a)     (i)      paternal grandmother: X X or X X G G G g

(ii)     grandparent genotypes: [X Y] [X X ] [X Y]; g g g g

gametes: [X and X , or X only] [X and Y] [X ] [X and Y];

G g G g g g

parents genotypes: [X Y] [X X ] G g g

gametes: [X and Y] [X ]
G g

daughter: [X X ]; G g

(all correct = 3 marks);

(max 2 if no distinction between pairs of gamete genotypes,
e.g. comma, space or circle);
(allow omission of gametes clearly not involved in next
generation);
(all males XY and females XX = 1 mark, if no other marks);
3

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(iii)     nil;
X chromosome, without G allele, inherited from mother / Y must
be inherited from father, not X ; G

(b)     X and Y chromosomes are different sizes / shapes;

chromatids unable to line up and form bivalent / only
short pairing region / most of length not homologous;
2
[8]

M4.          (a)     gene located on X / Y/ one sex chromosome;

(allow gene on X or Y chromosome, not X and Y)
1

(b)     (i)      black;

1

(ii)     X X ;   
G g

(lose this mark if the wrong genotype is given for the female
in (iii))
(must show X chromosomes to gain the mark)
1

correct parent gametes

(X and Y from male, X and X from female);
g G g

correct offspring genotypes (X X , X X , X Y, X Y);

g g G g G g

correct link of offspring genotypes with phenotypes;

X X black female
g g

X X tortoiseshell female
G g

X Y ginger male X Y black male

G g

(correct gametes, offspring genotypes and link with

phenotypes based on incorrect parent genotype = 3 marks)
3

(c)     X Y dd; correct male kitten genotypes (X Y Dd and X Y dd);

G g g

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correct link of kitten genotypes with phenotypes;
(ignore female kittens)

X Y Dd         black
g

X Y dd          grey
g

(correct kitten genotypes and phenotypes based on incorrect

parent genotype = 2 marks)
3
[9]

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