Suppose You Are a Genetics Counselor Who Is Working with a 21-Year-Old

question 35

Multiple Choice

Suppose you are a genetics counselor who is working with a 21-year-old pregnant woman who has just discovered that her father has Huntington's disease, a rare dominant autosomal trait.This disease usually develops in middle age, so people carrying this trait do not find out they have this genetic disorder until midlife.What are the chances that the child she is carrying will develop the disease? (Assume that her husband's family has no history of the disease.)

• A) 10%
• B) 25%
• C) 50%
• D) 75%
• E) 100%

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Definitions:

Zygote

The initial cell formed when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, representing the earliest stage of embryonic development.

Fertilized Egg

The result of the union of a human sperm and egg, marking the beginning of a new organism's development.

Organism

Any living entity that can function independently, exhibiting characteristics of life such as growth, metabolism, response to stimuli, and reproduction.

Intonation

The variation of pitch while speaking, which can change the meaning of words and sentences.