Final answer:
Genetic disorders linked to the X chromosome include red-green color blindness, Types A and B hemophilia, and some forms of muscular dystrophy. These disorders are more common in males as they only need one recessive mutant X allele to be affected, while females can be carriers without showing symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Several genetic disorders have been linked to the X chromosome and are typically referred to as X-linked disorders. These genetic disorders are more likely to affect males because they have only one X chromosome, and a single recessive mutant X allele is enough to express the disorder. Some common examples of X-linked genetic disorders include:
- Red-green color blindness: This is an inability to distinguish between red and green colors and is one of the most common forms of color blindness.
- Hemophilia: Types A and B hemophilia are blood-clotting disorders that are caused by mutations in the genes responsible for clotting factors.
- Muscular dystrophy: Some forms of muscular dystrophy, such as Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy, are caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene located on the X chromosome.
Females can be carriers of these disorders if they inherit one recessive allele and one dominant allele, which typically results in them being unaffected due to the presence of a normal allele. However, they can pass the trait to their sons, who would then exhibit the trait if they inherit the recessive allele.