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

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Males only have one copy of the X chromosome (hemizygous), while females have two copies. Therefore, any mutations on the X chromosome will always be expressed in males, while females may have a normal copy to compensate for the mutated one. Male hormones (choice A) and female hormones (choice B) do not have a direct effect on sex-linked traits, and there is no reason to believe that X chromosomes in males have more mutations than in females (choice C). The Y chromosome does not typically affect the expression of mutations on the X chromosome (choice E).

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