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Ch. 14 - Mendel and the Gene
Freeman - Biological Science 7th Edition
Freeman7th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9783584863285Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 14, Problem 11b

As a genetic counselor, you advise couples about the possibility of genetic disease in their offspring. Today you met with an engaged couple, both of whom are phenotypically normal. The man, however, has a brother who died of Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy, an X-linked recessive condition. His fiancée, whose family has no history of the disease, is worried that the couple's sons or daughters might be afflicted. The sister of this man is planning to marry his fiancée's brother. How would you advise this second couple?

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1
Understand that Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked recessive disorder, meaning the gene causing the disease is located on the X chromosome and two copies of the recessive allele are needed for females to express the disease, while only one is needed for males.
Since the man has a brother with the disease, it indicates that his mother is at least a carrier of the disease allele (X^d). The man himself could either be a carrier (X^dY) or not (XY).
The man's sister, who is planning to marry the fiancée's brother, has a 50% chance of being a carrier (X^dX) because she could have inherited the X^d from her mother.
The fiancée's brother, who is marrying the man's sister, has no family history of the disease, so he is likely not a carrier (XY).
Advise the second couple that if the man's sister is a carrier, there is a 50% chance their sons could have the disease and a 50% chance their daughters could be carriers. Genetic testing can provide more information about the sister's carrier status.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

X-linked Recessive Inheritance

X-linked recessive inheritance refers to genetic conditions associated with mutations in genes on the X chromosome. Males are more frequently affected because they have only one X chromosome, while females have two. A female carrier can pass the mutated gene to her sons, who will be affected, or to her daughters, who may become carriers.
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Carrier Status

Carrier status in genetics indicates that an individual has one copy of a recessive allele that can cause disease in offspring if inherited. In X-linked recessive conditions, females can be carriers without showing symptoms, as they have a second, normal X chromosome. Understanding carrier status is crucial for assessing the risk of passing genetic conditions to children.
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Genetic Counseling

Genetic counseling involves providing information and support to individuals or families about genetic conditions. Counselors assess the risk of inherited diseases, explain inheritance patterns, and discuss potential outcomes and options. This helps couples make informed decisions about family planning and managing genetic risks.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

The smooth feathers on the back of the neck in pigeons can be reversed by a mutation to produce a 'crested' appearance in which feathers form a distinctive spike at the back of the head. A pigeon breeder examined offspring produced by a single pair of non-crested birds and recorded the following: 22 non-crested and 7 crested. She then made a series of crosses using offspring from the first cross. When she crossed two of the crested birds, all 20 of the offspring were crested. When she crossed a non-crested bird with a crested bird, 7 offspring were non-crested and 6 were crested. For these three crosses, provide genotypes for parents and offspring that are consistent with these results.

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Textbook Question

The smooth feathers on the back of the neck in pigeons can be reversed by a mutation to produce a 'crested' appearance in which feathers form a distinctive spike at the back of the head. A pigeon breeder examined offspring produced by a single pair of non-crested birds and recorded the following: 22 non-crested and 7 crested. She then made a series of crosses using offspring from the first cross. When she crossed two of the crested birds, all 20 of the offspring were crested. When she crossed a non-crested bird with a crested bird, 7 offspring were non-crested and 6 were crested. Which allele is dominant?

937
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Textbook Question

As a genetic counselor, you advise couples about the possibility of genetic disease in their offspring. Today you met with an engaged couple, both of whom are phenotypically normal. The man, however, has a brother who died of Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy, an X-linked recessive condition. His fiancée, whose family has no history of the disease, is worried that the couple's sons or daughters might be afflicted. How would you advise this couple?

1112
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Textbook Question
Suppose you are heterozygous for two genes that are located on different chromosomes. You carry alleles A and a for one gene and alleles B and b for the other. Draw a diagram illustrating what happens to these genes and alleles when meiosis occurs in your reproductive tissues.
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Textbook Question
Suppose you are heterozygous for two genes that are located on different chromosomes. You carry alleles A and a for one gene and alleles B and b for the other. Label the stages of meiosis, the homologous chromosomes, sister chromatids, nonhomologous chromosomes, genes, and alleles.
1161
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Textbook Question

Suppose you are heterozygous for two genes that are located on different chromosomes. You carry alleles A and a for one gene and alleles B and b for the other. Draw a diagram illustrating what happens to these genes and alleles when meiosis occurs in your reproductive tissues.

1163
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