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Non-Mendelian Genetics
Non-Mendelian Genetics
Incomplete dominance is a form of intermediate inheritance in which one allele for a specific
trait is not completely dominant over the other allele. This results in a third phenotype in which
the expressed physical trait is a combination of the dominant and recessive phenotypes.
In codominance both alleles are expressed equally in the phenotype of the heterozygote. For
example, red cows crossed with white cows will have offspring that are roan cows. Roan refers
to cows with red hair and white blotches.
The inheritance of some characters does not strictly follow Mendel’s Law of Independent
Assortment. There are many traits that are inherited together more frequently. For example, the
expression of certain traits depends on whether one is male or female. Apparently, the
expression of the traits is determined by or related to one’s sex.
Genotype Phenotype
1. X XC
C
Normal female
2. XC Xc Normal female, carrier of the gene
3. XcXc Color- blind female
4. XCY Normal male
5. XcY Color-blind male
Can you identify the genotype of the female who is color-blind? Notice that for a female to
become color-blind, she must be homozygous (XcXc) for the color-blind genes. The trait is,
therefore, recessive in females. If a female has only one X chromosome with the allele for
colorblindness, she becomes normal but can pass on the trait to her offspring. She is, therefore
a carrier of the trait. Since males have only one X chromosome, the gene for color blindness
when present in the male, will always be expressed because it does not have an allele to hide
or prevent its expression. Thus, the male will be color- blind. This is the reason why
colorblindness is more common in males than in females.
Have you seen a baldman? What about a bald woman? It appears that gender matters for the
other kinds of traits as well.
Sex-limited Traits
Sex limited traits are generally autosomal, which means that they are not found on the Xor Y
chromosomes. The genes for these traits behave exactly the same way that any autosomal
gene behaves. The difference here comes in the expression of the genes in the phenotype of
the individual. Sex-limited traits are expressed in only one gender. In cattle, for instance,
lactation is expressed in females but never in males. Both male and female cattle however
possess a gene pair for lactation. The gene for lactation (L) is dominant over the non-lactating
gene (l). Table 2 shows the genotypes and phenotypes of the gene for lactation. These genes
are carried by both males and females, but it is only expressed in females. Have you noticed
that in female cattle, if at least one gene pair is for lactation (L), the female produces milk? In
male cattle, it does not matter if they possess one or two genes for lactation. They never
produce milk.
One classic example of a sex influenced trait is pattern of baldness in humans, though the
condition is not restricted to males. This gene has two alleles, “bald” and “non-bald”. The
behaviors of the products of these genes are highly influenced by the hormones in theindividual,
particularly by the hormone testosterone. All humans have testosterone, but males have much
higher levels of this hormone than females do. The result is that, in males, the baldness allele
behaves like a dominant allele, while in females it behaves like a recessive allele.
Sex-limited traits are those that are expressed exclusively in one sex.
Sex-influenced traits are expressed in both sexes but more frequently in one than
in the other sex.