17.2 Inheritance of Genes in the X Chromosome

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Genes in the X chromosome are called X-linked genes. These genes have a unique pattern of inheritance first discovered by Thomas Hunt Morgan in 1910. Morgan’s pioneering studies of genetics of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster helped bring Mendelian genetics into the modern era. The discovery of X-linked inheritance was not only important in itself, but also provided the first experimental evidence that chromosomes contain genes.