Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
The pedigree shows a family in which sickle-cell anaemia appears. Filled symbols are affected persons. The disorder is controlled by one pair of alleles, (normal) and , and is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. Assume that no new mutation arises in the family. II-3 and II-4 are expecting their first child, III-1.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
The parents in generation I. II-1 is affected, , but her parents are not. So I-1 and I-2 are both carriers, .
(a) II-3. A carrier × carrier cross gives . II-3 is unaffected, so he is one of the first parts, and of them are carriers: .
(b) II-4. Her father I-3 is affected and can give her only . She is unaffected, so her other allele is : she is a carrier for certain, .
(c) III-1 affected. III-1 can be affected only if II-3 is a carrier (); then a carrier × carrier child is affected with a chance of : .
(d) III-1 a carrier. If II-3 is (), a child of him and II-4 is a carrier with a chance of . If II-3 is a carrier (), a child is again a carrier with a chance of (). So the chance is either way.
(e) Two affected children. Both children can be affected only if II-3 is a carrier, and then each child is affected with a chance of : .
Answer: (a) . (b) . (c) . (d) . (e) .
Check. Picture families like this one. In of them II-3 is a carrier, and in of those, families, the first child is affected: . In just of the are both of the first two children affected.
Watch out. In (e), is wrong. The two children share the same father, so the doubt about whether II-3 is a carrier counts only once.
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