Hemophilia in humans is controlled by the

Assessment: JAMB UTME - Biology - 2024 Subject: Biology

Question 1 Report

Hemophilia in humans is controlled by the 
Answer Details

Hemophilia in humans is controlled by a recessive gene found on the X chromosome. This means that the gene responsible for hemophilia is not dominant and it is located on one of the sex chromosomes, specifically the X chromosome.


Here is how it works:


  • Humans have two types of sex chromosomes, X and Y. Females have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY).
  • For hemophilia to occur, the recessive gene must be present on the X chromosome.
  • In males: Since males have only one X chromosome, if they inherit the X chromosome with the hemophilia gene, they will have the condition because there is no second X chromosome to offset the effect.
  • In females: Because females have two X chromosomes, they need two copies of the recessive gene (one from each parent) to exhibit the disease. If a female has only one copy of the hemophilia gene, she will be a carrier but typically won't show symptoms because the other X chromosome, which does not carry the hemophilia gene, compensates.

In conclusion, hemophilia is inherited as a sex-linked recessive trait. This explains why it is more commonly observed in males than in females.

Download The App On Google Playstore

Everything you need to excel in your exams

Green Bridge CBT Mobile App
Personalized AI Learning Chat Assistant
200,000+ Exam Questions Across IGCSE, JAMB, WAEC & NECO
Over 3,900 Lesson Notes
Offline Support - Learn Anytime, Anywhere
Green Bridge Timetable
Literature Summaries & Potential Questions
Track Your Performance & Progress
In-depth Explanations for Comprehensive Learning