X-linked inheritance

X-linked inheritance is a specific type of inheritance that refers to genes located on the X chromosome. Within the framework of human genetics, it is practically synonymous with the term gonosomal inheritance (i.e. inheritance linked to sex chromosomes), since the Y chromosome contains very few genes and Y-linked inheritance we can practically neglect heredity.

According to the interactions of the alleles of the respective gene, we can distinguish between dominant and (much more common) recessive X-linked inheritance. It should be noted that a man (karyotype 46,XY) is hemizygote (has only one X chromosome) and his phenotype is thus determined by only one allele. On the contrary, in a woman, the resulting expression can be modified by the process of lyonization - some women-heterozygotes (carriers) of otherwise recessively inherited diseases can also have a certain phenotypic expression.

Related articles

 * Gonosomal inheritance
 * Gonosomal recessive inheritance
 * Gonosomal dominant inheritance
 * Autosomal recessive inheritance
 * Autosomal dominant inheritance
 * Allelic interactions
 * X chromosome
 * Y linked inheritance