sex linkage
What sex linkage means in Biology A-Level, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of sex linkage
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain sex linkage in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: OCR
Revealed when reciprocal crosses give different results and when phenotype frequencies differ between the sexes, because males carry one X and express X-linked alleles directly.
Genes lying on sex chromosomes, usually X, where males carry one X-linked allele.
Topics that use sex linkage
- Inheritance (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
- Patterns of inheritance (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- critical value
- degrees of freedom
- epistasis
- null hypothesis
- Phenotype
- allele
- Allele frequencies
- Alleles, genotypes and phenotypes
Using sex linkage in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
Practise Biology questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge