Chapter 3.

CHROMOSOMAL INHERITANCE

1. Chromosome heredity
2. Gender determination
3. Sex Linkage
4. Gene Linkage

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 1. Chromosome heredity
Anatomy of a chromosome

Metaphase
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chromosomes are classified by the position of the centromere
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 There are four main types of chromosomes:
metacentric, submetacentric, acrocentric, and
telocentric.

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The number and shape of chromosomes vary from
species to species
Organism n 2n
Drosophila melanogaster 4 8
Drosophila obscura 5 10
Drosophila virilus 6 12
Peas 7 14
Macaroni wheat 14 28
Giant sequoia trees 11 22
Ophioglossum reticulatum (fern) 630 1260
Dogs 39 78
Humans 23 46
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Chromosome heredity

Genes are carried on chromosomes and are the

mechanical basis of heredity
(1) some traits were sex-linked,

(2) the trait was probably carried on one of the sex

chromosomes,
(3) other genes were probably carried on specific
chromosomes as well.

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2. Gender
determination

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 Diecious plants: A plant species in which male and
female organs are on separate parts.
• Plants that are male or female
• Some have sex chromosomes

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3. Sex linkage
Sex linkage is the tendency of a characteristic to be
linked to one sex.

Humans Dioecious plant

The X and Y Chromosomes
Genes in the differential regions are said to show inheritance
patterns called sex linkage.
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 X linkage

 The X chromosome has many genes that are

important for growth and development.

Coat color in cats is a codominant trait

and is also located on the X chromosome.
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 Y linkage

 The Y chromosome is much smaller and has

fewer genes.

Hairy ears
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 The White eye mutation in
Drosophila

• A recessive sex-linked trait

• The gene is on the X chromosome

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 Sex linkage applies to genes that are located on the

sex chromosomes.
 These genes are considered sex-linked because their

expression and inheritance patterns differ between

males and females.
 While sex linkage is not the same as genetic linkage,

sex-linked genes can be genetically linked

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 Discrete pairs of factors located on chromosomes
bear hereditary information. These factors (genes)
segregate in germ cells and combine during
reproduction, essentially as predicted by Mendelian
laws.

 Certain characteristics are sex-linked—that is, occur

together because they arise on the same
chromosome that determines gender.

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More generally:
Other characteristics are also sometimes associated
because, as paired chromosomes separate during germ
cell development, genes proximate to one another tend
to remain together.

Sometimes, as a mechanistic consequence of

reproduction, this linkage between genes is broken,
allowing for new combinations of traits.

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 4. Gene linkage

 Two genes that occur on the same chromosome are

said to be linked, and those that occur very close
together are tightly linked.
 Linkage group: all of the genes on a single
chromosome are inherited as a group. During cell
division they act and move as a unit rather than
independently.
 The number of linkage groups for an organism is
equal to its number of homologous chromosome
pairs. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes,
therefore have 23 linkage groups

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 Complete and Incomplete Linkage
Genes that are so close together on a chromosome
that they are always inherited as a single unit show a
relationship referred to as complete linkage.

♂ F1 Test Cross

♂ ♀
F1: 100%

F2:
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 Incomplete linkage occurs when two genes show
linkage with a recombination level greater than 0%
and less than 50%

In incomplete linkage, all expected types of gametes

are formed, but the recombinant gametes occur less
often than the parental gametes.

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 F1: ♀ F1 Test Cross
100%

♀ ♂

F2:

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 Linkage map: created by finding the map distances
between a number of traits that are present on the
same chromosome. This distance is expressed in
terms of a genetic map unit or a centimorgan
 A genetic map: based on the frequencies of
recombination between genes during crossover of
homologous chromosomes.
 A recombinant frequency (RF) of 1% is equivalent
to 1 cM

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 Mapping Genes Using Recombination
Frequency
Recombination Frequency: the number of
recombinants out of total progeny (linked
if less than 50%)

Also number of map units apart (cM)

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