BIOLOGY
SEX- RELATED INHERITANCE
Mendel's Law of Independent Assortments
of Genes
- states that the inheritance of a
character will not influence the
inheritance of another character
because the genes that control them
assort independently.
HOW IS SEX DETERMINED?
Males have 44 body chromosomes
and two sex chromosomes, X and Y.
Females have 44 body chromosomes and
two sex chromosomes, both X. The total
chromosome number in each cell of an
individual therefore is 46, which may be
represented as 44XY in males and 44XX in
females. These chromosomes contain the
genes, which are the factors of heredity.
Sexual reproduction involves
meiosis and fertilization. After meiosis,
females produce only one kind of sex cell, a
22X egg. Males, on the other hand, produce
two kinds of sex cells, a 22X sperm and 22Y
sperm. If the 22X sperm fuses with the 22X
egg, the zygote produced is 44XX or female.
If the 22Y sperm unites with the 22X egg,
the zygote produced is 44XY or male.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF
CHANGES IN SEX?
CHROMOSOMES NUMBER?
Sometimes, the sex chromosomes, whether
XX or XY, become too tightly bound
together that they fail to separate during cell
division. The failure of the chromosomes to
separate is referred to as nondisjunction.
When this happens, one sperm cell may
receive both X and Y chromosomes (22XY),
while the other sperm cell receives none at
all (22O). When this 22XY sperm fertilizes
a 22X egg, the resulting offspring is
44XXY.
On the other hand, if the 22O sperm
fertilizes a 22X egg, the resulting offspring
is 44XO. In the first case, the offspring has a
total of 47, instead of 46, chromosomes due
to an additional sex chromosomes. In second
case, the offspring has only 45 chromosomes
because it lacks one sex chromosome.
No disjunction of sex chromosomes
may also occur in the female during gamete
during gamete formation. As a result, a
varies f offspring having different numbers
of sex chromosomes may be produced.
QUESTIONS:
1. Which sex chromosome is present
in all humans?
Ans: The X chromosome is present
in all humans. There are two X
chromosomes in females and only one X
chromosome in males. Even people with
changes in sex chromosomes number always
possess one or more X chromosomes.
2. Which sex chromosome
determines a person’s sex?
Ans: The Y chromosome determines
one’s biological sex. You can have two or
more X chromosomes, but as long as you
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have a Y chromosome, you are a biological
male.
WHAT ARE SEX – RELATED
CHARACTERS?
Three Kinds of Sex- related inheritance
 Sex- limited
 Sex-influenced
 Sex-linked
SEX–LIMITED TRAITS
Are those that are expressed
exclusively in one sex of the species. In
cattle for instance, lactation is expressed in
females but never in males. Both male and
female cattle however possess a gene pair
for lactation. The gene for lactation (L) is
dominant over non lactating gene (l).
SEX–INFLUENCED TRAITS
Some traits are expressed in both
sexes but more frequently in one than in the
other sex. Baldness may be expressed in
females but it occurs more frequently in
males.
Note that, with heterozygous gene
pair for baldness (Bb), males express
baldness, while females do not. Harelip, the
incomplete fusion of the upper lip, and gout,
the accumulation of uric acid in the tissues,
are other examples of sex-influenced traits
that are observed more frequently in males
than in females.
QUESTIONS:
1. In what way are sex–limited and
sex–influenced characters similar?
Ans: Sex-limited and sex-influenced traits
are similar in that their expression depends
on whether the person is male or female.
2. What is the main difference
between sex-limited and sex–
influenced traits?
Ans: Sex-limited traits are expressed
exclusively in one sex and never in the
opposite sex. Sex–influenced traits are
expressed in both males and females, only
more frequently in sex than in the other.
SEX–LINKED TRAITS
Some inherited traits are controlled by
genes located on the sex chromosomes. If
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the sex-linked trait is controlled by a gene
on the X chromosome, it is specifically
called X- linked. Red – green color vision is
an X-Linked trait. Since females have two X
chromosomes, they possess two genes or a
pair of genes for the trait. Males, on the
other hand, possess only one X
chromosome, hence they have only one gene
controlling the expression of red – green
color vision.
MORE THAN SEX
 Gender Identity – is a personal
knowledge and recognition of the
self as male or female.
 Sexual Orientation – refers to
whether one is attracted to a male or
a female.
QUESTION:
1. In what way are sex–influenced
and sex–linked characters
different?
Ans: Sex–influenced characters are
controlled by genes located in the body
chromosomes whereas sex-linked characters
are controlled by genes located in the
sex chromosomes.
Differences between males and
females begin at conception. The kind and
amount of sex hormones present during
conception translate into structural and
organizational differences between male and
female brains.
Mothers produce the female sex
hormone estrogen while the testes of male
fetuses produce testosterone. The amount of
hormones and sustained production of these
hormones affected the sexual development
of the embryos. Estrogen from the mother
influences the development of the female
sex organ and the female brain. Testosterone
produced by the testes of the male fetus
overcomes the maternal estrogen and
promotes the development of the male sex
organ and the male brain.
If testosterone levels are not
sustained, a male fetus may develop male
sex organs but may not have sufficient
testosterone to develop a male brain pattern.
This is believed to be one reason why some
biological males experience conflicts in
gender identity and sexual orientation.
Females may also experience gender
conflicts. This, on the other hand, may be a
result of accidental exposure to high levels
of testosterone produced in the adrenal
glands of the mother or of the fetus at
conception.
DID YOU KNOW?
There are marked differences
between the male and the female brains. One
marked differences is the size of the corpus
callosum that connects and permits
communication between the left and right
hemispheres of the brain. Which one do you
think has larger corpus callosum?
Female brains, in general, have
larger corpus callosum. This may indicate
very close communication between the two
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brain hemispheres. It was observed in some
researches that many females use both sides
of the brain equally for verbal and visual
activities and emotional responses.
Most males on the other hand use
one side of the brain exclusively for
particular activities. For instance, right –
handed men use exclusively the left brain for
verbal activities and the right for emotional
responses and visual tasks.