Autosomal and sex-linked inheritance contain many similarities. A chromosomes structures change in many different ways. Human genetic analysis is a very sensitive subject in today’s society. There are many different views about whether genetic analysis is ethical.
Autosomal inheritance is the patterns of genetic transmission related to genes located on autosomal chromosomes. These genes found on chromosomes that are not the sex chromosomes. Almost half of all genetic diseases and abnormalities are a result of autosomal inheritance (World of Genetics 2005). Autosomal dominant inheritance occurs when an allele of one of the chromosomes of a homologous pair of autosomal chromosomes is able to express itself regardless of what allele is present on the homologous chromosomes. If the autosomal chromosome is dominant any disorder or disease will be expressed.
Evidence has shown that breast cancer is one disease that could have ties to an autosomal dominant allele. The more breast cancer that a family has, the higher the risk becomes. The younger the age of the affected the higher the risks become. Studies have been done on families regardless of family histories (Claus).
Sex-linked inheritance is the transmission to successive generations of traits that are due to alleles at gene loci on a sex chromosome (Rushton). In humans, the term sex-linked traits most commonly refer to X-linked traits. Because the X-chromosome is much larger the Y there are more X-linked traits than there are Y-linked traits. Fathers pass X-linked alleles to only and all of their daughters. Males receive their X chromosome only from their mothers. Fathers cannot, therefore, pass sex-linked traits to their sons. Mothers can pass sex-linked alleles to both sons and daughters.
A sex-linked familial neurological disorder has been linked with a loss of an enzyme that participates in purine metabolism (Seegmiller 1862). This consists of choreoathetosis, spasticity, mental...