sex-linked
UK[ˈseks lɪŋkt]US[ˈseks lɪŋkt]
adj
(of a gene or inherited characteristic) carried on a sex chromosome, typically the X chromosome, and therefore its inheritance and expression differ between males and females.
Morpheme Breakdown
sex
link
ed
sex
biological category
link
connection
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
The term is a modern scientific compound, first emerging in the early 20th century with the development of Mendelian and chromosomal genetics. It is constructed from the English word 'sex', referring to the male or female biological category, and the past participle 'linked', implying a connection or association. The literal meaning, "connected to sex," directly reflects its scientific definition: a genetic trait whose inheritance is physically tied to the chromosomes (X or Y) that determine an organism's sex. This logical construction provides a transparent descriptor for a trait whose expression is correlated with the sex of the individual.
Analysis
Structure: sex (biological category) + link (connection) + ed (adjective suffix)
- sex: From Latin 'sexus', meaning "state of being male or female." In this compound, it denotes the biological category of male or female.
- link: From Old English 'hlencan', meaning "to join, connect." In this compound, it denotes a connection or association.
- ed: A common English suffix forming adjectives from nouns or verbs, indicating "having the characteristics of."
Examples
Red-green color blindness is a well-known sex-linked disorder.
The gene for hemophilia is sex-linked and located on the X chromosome.
In fruit flies, the white-eye mutation is a classic example of a sex-linked trait.