Final answer:
The inheritance pattern for Y-linked inheritance is specific to male-to-male transmission, as only males have Y chromosomes. These traits are passed directly from father to son, with no daughters being affected.
Step-by-step explanation:
The inheritance pattern for Y-linked inheritance is specifically passed from father to son and does not follow any of the listed patterns such as autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, or X-linked recessive. Since genes on the Y chromosome are only possessed by males and are transmitted only from father to son, the correct answer is option 4, Y-linked.
It is important to note that with Y-linked inheritance, any male who has a Y-linked trait will pass it down to all of his sons, but no daughters. This is because daughters receive an X chromosome from their father and not the Y chromosome that carries the trait.
The distinction between Y-linked inheritance and the other types of inheritance such as autosomal and X-linked is critical because the Y chromosome contains genes that are pertinent only to male development and reproduction. Therefore, the traits governed by these genes will solely affect males and display a pattern of father-to-son transmission, without skipping generations.