Haemophilia is more commonly seen in human males than in human females...
Explanation:
Haemophilia is an inheritable bleeding disorder that affects the ability of blood to clot properly. It is caused by a mutation in one of the genes responsible for producing clotting factors. The most common types of haemophilia are haemophilia A and haemophilia B, which are caused by mutations in the genes F8 and F9, respectively.
Haemophilia is due to an X-linked recessive mutation:
Haemophilia is more commonly seen in human males than in human females because it is caused by an X-linked recessive mutation. In humans, females have two X chromosomes (XX) while males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY). The gene responsible for haemophilia is located on the X chromosome.
Inheritance pattern:
The inheritance pattern of X-linked recessive disorders is such that males are more likely to be affected than females. This is because males have only one X chromosome, and if it carries the defective gene, they will develop the disorder. In contrast, females have two X chromosomes, and if one X chromosome carries the defective gene, the other X chromosome can compensate for the mutation, resulting in a milder form of the disorder or no symptoms at all.
Males:
- If a male inherits the defective gene from his carrier mother, he will have haemophilia because he does not have a second X chromosome to compensate for the mutation.
- If a male does not inherit the defective gene, he will not have haemophilia.
Females:
- If a female inherits the defective gene from her carrier mother, she becomes a carrier of haemophilia. This means she carries the gene but does not typically show symptoms of the disorder. However, she can pass the defective gene to her offspring.
- If a female inherits the defective gene from both her carrier mother and affected father, she can develop haemophilia. However, this scenario is relatively rare because it requires both parents to be carriers or affected.
Conclusion:
In summary, haemophilia is more commonly seen in human males than in human females because it is caused by an X-linked recessive mutation. Males have only one X chromosome, and if it carries the defective gene, they will develop the disorder. Females have two X chromosomes, and if one X chromosome carries the defective gene, the other X chromosome can compensate for the mutation, resulting in a milder form of the disorder or no symptoms at all.