Pedigrees

Front

What is a pedigree?

Back

A pedigree is a diagram that shows the genetic relationships among family members and traces the inheritance of specific traits.

Front

What shape represents a male in a pedigree?

Back

A square represents a male in a pedigree.

Front

What shape represents a female in a pedigree?

Back

A circle represents a female in a pedigree.

Front

What does it mean if a trait skips a generation in a pedigree?

Back

It often indicates that the trait is recessive, meaning individuals can be carriers without expressing the trait.

Front

What is a dominant allele?

Back

A dominant allele is an allele that expresses its trait even when only one copy is present in the genotype.

Front

What is a recessive allele?

Back

A recessive allele is an allele that only expresses its trait when two copies are present in the genotype.

Front

What is a heterozygous genotype?

Back

A heterozygous genotype has two different alleles for a trait, such as 'Gg'.

Front

What is a homozygous genotype?

Back

A homozygous genotype has two identical alleles for a trait, such as 'GG' or 'gg'.

Front

What do we use pedigrees for?

Back

We use pedigrees to track traits in families and make determinations about the inheritance of those traits.

Front

What is a carrier in genetics?

Back

A carrier is an individual who has one copy of a recessive allele and does not express the trait but can pass it on to offspring.