Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam 2025 – The All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

X-linked traits are associated with genes located on the X chromosome, which is one of the sex chromosomes in humans and many other organisms. The cellular process that directly involves the inheritance of these traits is meiosis. During meiosis, gametes (sperm and egg cells) are formed, and the distribution of sex chromosomes to these gametes plays a crucial role in determining the inheritance of X-linked traits.

In males, who have one X and one Y chromosome, the X chromosome carries the genes that can express X-linked traits. In females, with two X chromosomes, these traits can be expressed if the allele is present on either or both X chromosomes. Thus, during the formation of gametes in meiosis, the segregation of X chromosomes directly affects which X-linked traits may be passed on to offspring. This process of segregation and independent assortment is fundamental to understanding how these traits are inherited and expressed in subsequent generations.

Other processes such as mitosis, cell respiration, and synthesis do not directly involve the inheritance of genetic traits but rather focus on cell division, energy production, and the creation of biomolecules, respectively.