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A woman develops Huntington's disease and already has 3 children. What is the chance that the mother has passed this disease onto her 3 children? Is this autosomal dominant or recessive?

A woman develops Huntington's disease and already has 3 children. What is the chance that the mother has passed this disease onto her 3 children? Is this autosomal dominant or recessive?

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
11th Edition
ISBN:9780134580999
Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation
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Problem 1RQ: The correct sequence of levels forming the structural hierarchy is A. (a) organ, organ system,...
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### Understanding Huntington's Disease: Genetic Inheritance **Question:** A woman develops Huntington's disease and already has 3 children. What is the chance that the mother has passed this disease onto her 3 children? Is this autosomal dominant or recessive? --- **Explanation:** Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and psychiatric problems. The inheritance pattern of Huntington's disease is **autosomal dominant**, meaning that only one copy of the mutated gene (inherited from either parent) is enough to cause the disorder. ### Probability of Inheritance Since Huntington's disease is autosomal dominant: - Each child of a parent with Huntington's disease has a **50% chance** of inheriting the disorder (because the parent has one normal allele and one mutated allele). ### Key Points: 1. **Autosomal Dominant:** Only one allele is needed for a person to be affected. 2. **Each Child's Risk:** Each child has an independent 50% risk of inheriting the disease. ### Visualization: Imagine a simplified genetic model: - **Parent (Mother):** Hh (H = Huntington’s allele, h = normal allele) - **Children:** Can inherit either H or h from the mother. **Punnett Square for a Single Child:** | | H (Mother) | h (Mother) | |---------|------------|------------| | **(Father)** | Does not affect the model as the focus is on the mother's contribution in this explanation. | ### Conclusion Each of the woman's 3 children has a 50% chance of inheriting the Huntington’s disease gene, independently of whether their siblings inherited it. This autosomal dominant pattern ensures that the presence of one faulty gene will result in the disease. For further genetic counseling and understanding potential symptoms and management, it is important for affected families to consult healthcare professionals specializing in genetics.
Transcribed Image Text:### Understanding Huntington's Disease: Genetic Inheritance **Question:** A woman develops Huntington's disease and already has 3 children. What is the chance that the mother has passed this disease onto her 3 children? Is this autosomal dominant or recessive? --- **Explanation:** Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and psychiatric problems. The inheritance pattern of Huntington's disease is **autosomal dominant**, meaning that only one copy of the mutated gene (inherited from either parent) is enough to cause the disorder. ### Probability of Inheritance Since Huntington's disease is autosomal dominant: - Each child of a parent with Huntington's disease has a **50% chance** of inheriting the disorder (because the parent has one normal allele and one mutated allele). ### Key Points: 1. **Autosomal Dominant:** Only one allele is needed for a person to be affected. 2. **Each Child's Risk:** Each child has an independent 50% risk of inheriting the disease. ### Visualization: Imagine a simplified genetic model: - **Parent (Mother):** Hh (H = Huntington’s allele, h = normal allele) - **Children:** Can inherit either H or h from the mother. **Punnett Square for a Single Child:** | | H (Mother) | h (Mother) | |---------|------------|------------| | **(Father)** | Does not affect the model as the focus is on the mother's contribution in this explanation. | ### Conclusion Each of the woman's 3 children has a 50% chance of inheriting the Huntington’s disease gene, independently of whether their siblings inherited it. This autosomal dominant pattern ensures that the presence of one faulty gene will result in the disease. For further genetic counseling and understanding potential symptoms and management, it is important for affected families to consult healthcare professionals specializing in genetics.
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Huntington’s disease or Huntington's chorea is a muscular and mental disorder. There is a gradual loss of motor control resulting in uncontrollable shaking and dance-like movements termed as chorea. The shrinkage of brain occurs following slurry speech, memory loss, and hallucinations. From the onset of symptoms, life expectancy averages 15 years however, this disorder does not occur till the age of 25 to 55.

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