CH-23 INHERITANCE
i) Why Rh-incompatibility could be a danger to the developing
foetus and mother?
ii) Why haemophilia is common in human males?
iii) What do you mean by sex-influenced trait?
iv) Differentiate between following
a) Linkage and crossing over
b) Monohybrid Cross and Dihybrid Cross
c) X-linked trait and Y-linked trait
d) Autosomes and sex-chromosome
e) Incomplete dominance and Co-dominance
v) Why human males are heterogametic?
vi) What do you mean by dichromacy and monochromacy?
i) Rh incompatibility occurs when a mother with Rh-negative blood is pregnant with a fetus
who has Rh-positive blood. This situation can lead to the mother's immune system producing
antibodies against the Rh-positive blood cells of the fetus, potentially causing hemolytic
disease of the newborn (HDN) or erythroblastosis fetalis. This can result in severe anemia,
jaundice, and in extreme cases, can be fatal for the fetus and pose risks to the mother as well.
ii) Hemophilia is a genetic disorder characterized by the inability of the blood to clot
properly. It is caused by mutations in genes that encode proteins necessary for blood clotting,
such as factor VIII or factor IX. Hemophilia is more common in males because the genes
responsible for hemophilia are located on the X chromosome. Since males have only one X
chromosome (XY), a single recessive mutation on their X chromosome will manifest as the
disorder, whereas females would need to inherit two recessive mutations, one on each X
chromosome, to display the phenotype.
iii) A sex-influenced trait is a characteristic that is influenced by the sex of the individual
carrying the trait. This means that the expression of the trait is influenced by the sex
hormones or sex chromosomes of the individual. For example, male pattern baldness is more
common and often more severe in males than in females due to hormonal differences.
iv) a) Linkage refers to the tendency of genes on the same chromosome to be inherited
together, whereas crossing over is the exchange of genetic material between homologous
chromosomes during meiosis, which can result in the exchange of alleles between linked
genes.
b) A monohybrid cross involves the study of one trait and its inheritance pattern, while a
dihybrid cross involves the study of two traits simultaneously and their inheritance patterns.
c) X-linked traits are traits that are determined by genes located on the X chromosome,
whereas Y-linked traits are determined by genes located on the Y chromosome.
d) Autosomes are chromosomes that are not involved in determining an individual's sex,
while sex chromosomes are the chromosomes that determine an individual's sex (X and Y
chromosomes in humans).
e) In incomplete dominance, neither allele is completely dominant over the other, resulting in
a blending of phenotypes in heterozygous individuals, whereas in co-dominance, both alleles
are fully expressed in heterozygous individuals, leading to the expression of both phenotypes
simultaneously.
v) Human males are heterogametic because they have one X chromosome and one Y
chromosome (XY), while females are homogametic because they have two X chromosomes
(XX). This means that males can produce two different types of gametes (sperm with either
an X or a Y chromosome), whereas females can only produce one type of gamete (eggs with
an X chromosome).
vi) Dichromacy refers to the condition of having only two types of functioning cone cells in
the eyes, resulting in difficulty distinguishing between certain colors, typically red-green or
blue-yellow. Monochromacy, on the other hand, refers to the condition of having only one
type of functioning cone cell or having severely impaired color vision, resulting in the
inability to perceive color differences at all, seeing the world mostly in shades of gray.