How can sex-linked traits be identified?

An Online Lab Investigation

Go to the following link for the lab:

http://glencoe.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/0078802849/383935/BL_15.html

Learning Goals:
● Construct and analyse Punnett squares for monohybird genetic crosses involving
sex-linked traits.
● Perform Drosophila mating and analyze the offspring that result from each cross.
● Explain why sex-linked traits appear more in males than in females.

Procedure:
Follow the Step by Step procedure in the taskbar on the left hand side of the page.
Make sure you watch the videos and follow all steps in the procedure.

Data:

Phenotype Phenotype # of Red- # of White- # of Red- # of White-

of Male of Female Eyed Male Eyed Male Eyed Eyed
Parent Parent Offspring Offspring female female
Offspring Offspring

P red red 50 0 50 0
Generation
Cross

F1 red red 50 0 50 0
Generation
Cross

P white red 47 0 53 0
Generation
Cross

F1 red red 22 25 53 0
Generation
Cross
Conclusion Questions:
1. Describe the phenotypes and genotypes of the parents that you chose on the Punnett
squares screen.
2. Describe the offspring phenotypes and genotype ratios that resulted from crossing the
parents that you chose on the Punnett square screen. Using these ratios, what
percentage of the offspring is white-eyed? What percentage of offspring is red-eyed?
3. Did you mate Drosophila in the laboratory or did you perform genetic crosses using
Punnett squares first? Why? Compare and contrast the data that you collected from the
Punnett squares to the data you collected from the Drosophila mating.
4. In a mating between red-eyed male fruit fly and a red-eyed heterozygous female, what
percentage of the female offspring is expected to be carriers? How did you determine
the percentage?
50% of the females are expected to be carriers. This was determined by completing a
genetic cross using a punnett square to determine the genotypes of the offspring. A red-eyed
male was crossed with a red-eyed female carrier. The genotypes that resulted were 1 XRXR, 1
XRXr, 1 XrY. One out of two, or 50% of the females are carriers

5. In a mating between a red-eyed male fruit fly and a white-eyed female fruit fly, what
percentage of the male offspring will have white eyes? Describe how you determined the
percentage.
100 percent of the male offspring will have white eyes. This is determined by crossing either a
red eyed male fruit fly with a white eyed female fruit fly in the Drosophila Laboratory and
observing the results or by performing a genetic cross using a punnett square and crossing a
red eyed male and a white eyed female to determine that the genotypes were: 1 XRXr, 1 XrY,
one out of one, which is 100% of the males are white eyed.

6. Hemophilis, a blood disorder in humans, results from a sex-linked recessive allelle.

Suppose that a daughter of a mother without the allele and father with the allele marries
a man with hemophilia. What is the probability that the daughter’s children will inherit the
disease? Describe how you determined the probability.
There is a 50:50 chance that her offspring will have the disease. This was determined by
performing two punnett squares. One with a female with the allele (XHXH)
was crossed with a male with an allele (XhY). The second one was a female
carrier (XHXh) is crossed with a male with hemophilia (XhY).

7. Colorblindeness results from a sex-linked recessive allele. Determine the genotypes of

the offspring that result from a cross between a color-blind male and a homozygous
female who has normal vision. Describe how you determined the genotypes of the
offspring.
All females will have normal vision, but they will be carriers of the allele. All mates will
normal vision. This was determined by completing a punnett square and crossing a color blind
male (XbY) and a homozygous normal female (XBXB). The genotypes were 1 XBXb : 1 XBY

8. Explain why sex-linked traits appear more often in males than in females.
This is because males only have one X-chromosome, (most sex-
linked diseases are found in the X chromosome) and therefore rely on all
information provided by this chromosome. This means that it only takes on
 malfunctioning sex-linked gene for the male to express the condition for they
don't, unlike females, have an extra copy

9.