Which of the following traits is associated with a gene that is carried only by the male or female parent?

A trait associated with a gene that is carried exclusively by either the male or female parent is classified as a sex-linked trait. Sex-linked traits are typically found on the sex chromosomes (X or Y), which determine the biological sex of an individual. In many organisms, especially in humans, certain characteristics are encoded by genes located on the X chromosome. For example, hemophilia and color blindness are examples of X-linked disorders, which predominantly affect males because they possess one X and one Y chromosome. Females, on the other hand, have two X chromosomes, which can mask the effect of a recessive allele present on one of the X's with a dominant one from the other X.

This is distinctly different from autosomal traits, which are determined by genes located on the non-sex chromosomes and are inherited independently of an individual’s sex. Dominant and recessive traits refer more to the expression of alleles rather than their inheritance pattern with respect to gender; they indicate whether an allele has the ability to mask the presence of another or not, but do not inherently determine whether a trait is linked to one sex chromosome or another.

Thus, understanding the inheritance of sex-linked traits is crucial for examining how certain traits or disorders can be passed down through