Which trait is determined by a gene located on one of the sex chromosomes?

Which trait is determined by a gene located on one of the sex chromosomes?

• A. X-linked trait
• B. Somatic trait
• C. Sex linked trait
• D. Recessive trait

Answer: (C)

When a gene sits on one of the sex chromosomes, the trait it controls is called a sex-linked trait. Sex chromosomes, X and Y, carry genes that determine inherited patterns that can differ between males and females. In humans, many well-known examples are on the X chromosome, and because males have only one X, a single allele there is often expressed in males. Y-linked traits exist too, though they’re less common because the Y carries relatively few genes. The term sex-linked captures this idea of inheritance tied to the sex chromosomes, whereas the other terms describe neither location nor the chromosome-based pattern (a somatic trait refers to body cells, and a recessive trait describes how alleles interact, not where they’re located). An X-linked trait is a specific subset on the X chromosome, but the broader label sex-linked is most appropriate when the gene is on a sex chromosome.

When a gene sits on one of the sex chromosomes, the trait it controls is called a sex-linked trait. Sex chromosomes, X and Y, carry genes that determine inherited patterns that can differ between males and females. In humans, many well-known examples are on the X chromosome, and because males have only one X, a single allele there is often expressed in males. Y-linked traits exist too, though they’re less common because the Y carries relatively few genes. The term sex-linked captures this idea of inheritance tied to the sex chromosomes, whereas the other terms describe neither location nor the chromosome-based pattern (a somatic trait refers to body cells, and a recessive trait describes how alleles interact, not where they’re located). An X-linked trait is a specific subset on the X chromosome, but the broader label sex-linked is most appropriate when the gene is on a sex chromosome.