Question from previous lecture:

- Flower color in peas is inherited in a single gene Mendelian inheritance. In a cross

between pea plants that are heterozygous for flower color (Cc), what is the Probability
that the offspring will be homozygous recessive?

Answer = 1⁄4

Sex Chromosomes

- Chromosome theory of inheritance led to understanding of sex determination

- Chromosomes determining sex (or sex chromosomes) were first discovered in
Protenor (bug) and grasshopper
- Correlation between sex phenotype and chromosomes
- Sex chromosomes in Drosophilamelanogaster-T. H. Morgan
- Male & female flies have common and distinct chromosomes

Do sex chromosomes carry only sex related genes?

- Morgan crossed flies with different eye colors and obtained different results from the
reciprocal crosses
- Red female x white male red females + red males White female x red males red females
+ white males
- Intercrossing F1s from each cross also gave different progeny
- This was exception to what Mendel observed

T. H. Morgan’s Analysis
 - Morgan knew that the chromosome composition differed between males and females of
Drosophila. Based on this information, he proposed a model:
- White is recessive to red
- Sex in Drosophila is determined by X and Y chromosomes, where XX is a female
and XY is a male. The heteromorphic chromosomes synapse and disjoin during
meiosis in males.
- The white eye color gene is located on the X chromosome.
- This hypothesis connected the sex chromosomes to a trait other than sex.

Genetic Crosses Considering Sex Chromosomes

Reciprocal Genetic Crosses

Sex
Chromosomes
 - Sex chromosomes pair during meiosis like homologous autosomes
- In many species sex chromosomes differ in genetic content over much of their length,
also known as the differential region
- In these species, a specific region for pairing, known as the pseudoautosomal regions,
are present at the end of the chromosomes
- Genes in the differential region show X-linked or Y- linked inheritance.
- Genes in the pairing regions show X and Y-linkage

Human sex Chromosomes

X-Linked Traits

- The homogametic sex

(e.g., XX) can be a
carrier of a recessive
trait
- The heterogametic
sex (e.g., XY) because it is hemizygous, if carries the gene, will express the recessive
trait or phenotype
- If females are XX and males are XY, then males receive their only X chromosome from
their mother

Nondisjunction of Chromosomes
 Sex Determination

- Organisms
have evolved
different forms
of sex determination
- Sex determination could be determined by genes- Genotype determines sex- genes
present in the differential regionMale or female could be the heterogametic sex
- Environment determines sex-
- Marine annelids- no females around, males become females. The reverse is also true
- Root-knot nematodes- crowding and stress will enhance male formation
 - Alligators- 86 F or lower temperature in the nest during 7-21 days of egg
incubation result in females. Higher temperatures result in males.
- Sex determination by number of sets of chromosomes
- Ants, bees, wasps: 2n is a female , 1n is a male

Sex Determination in Drosophila

- Sex is not determined by the Y chromosome although XX is a female and XY is a male

- Presence of two X chromosomes causes female development
- XXY is a female and XO is a male
- Sex is determined by balance between the number of X chromosomes and autosomes.
This is evident in the sex of various chromosome number variants (aneuploids)
- Sex of various chromosome number variants (aneuploids)

Sex Determination in Humans

- Nondisjunction can result in individuals with abnormal numbers of X and Y

chromosomes
- Reminder : XX normal female, XY is a normal male
- Presence of Y chromosome causes male development
- XO individuals - have one X and no Y. Female but sterile. Known as Turner syndrome.
1/10,000 births, but 99% die before birth. Survivors are nearly normal until puberty, then
fail to develop normal sexual organs.
- XXY individuals - have two X and a Y. Are males. Known as Klinefelter syndrome.
1/1,000 births. Have underdeveloped testes, tall, some develop breasts
- XYY individuals - are Males. About 1/1,000 births. Near normal.
- XXX individuals - Are females. About 1/1,000 births. Near normal