Hemophilia is a hereditary bleeding disorder that primarily affects males.

Question

In 3-5 sentences, summarize why this condition typically affects males more than females. (4 points)

Answer 1

Hemophilia is caused by a genetic mutation located on the X chromosome. Males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes. This means that if a male inherits the mutated gene from his mother, he will have hemophilia because the Y chromosome does not have a counterpart to compensate. On the other hand, females have two X chromosomes and even if they inherit the mutated gene, they have a second unaffected X chromosome that can compensate for the disorder, resulting in a milder expression or carrier status.