Chapter 11.1, Problem 1NV

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Definition of the terms carrier and pedigree.

Importance of pedigree in the identification of the recessive trait in the family.

Explanation of Solution

Carrier: A carrier is an individual, which is not infected with the disease, but they have an allele responsible for the disease. They are heterozygotes and have both dominant and recessive alleles. The dominant allele masks the effect of the recessive allele, which makes them disease-free.

Pedigree: It is a genetic representation of several generations of a family that shows the inheritance of a trait or disease. There are symbols that represent gender and affected individuals.

Pedigree helps in analyzing the trends of the occurrence of disease in a family. In case, a trait or a disease tends to skip a generation, and healthy parents (most possibly carriers) have an affected child, it represents the presence of a recessive trait in a family. So, a recessive trait can be identified by studying data of different generations and patterns of inheritance.