Males are more often affected by sex-linked traits than females because
A)males are hemizygous for the X chromosome.
B)male hormones such as testosterone often alter the effects of mutations on the X chromosome.
C)female hormones such as estrogen often compensate for the effects of mutations on the X.
D)X chromosomes in males generally have more mutations than X chromosomes in females.
E)mutations on the Y chromosome often worsen the effects of X-linked mutations.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Males only have one X chromosome, making them hemizygous for X-linked traits. Therefore, if a male inherits a recessive allele on his X chromosome, he will express the trait, whereas a female would need to inherit two copies of the allele (one on each X chromosome) to express the trait. This is why X-linked recessive disorders like color blindness or hemophilia are more common in males.

Males Are More Often Affected by Sex-Linked Traits Than Females