What type of inheritance pattern is shown by a trait that skips generations?
Practice Questions
Q1
What type of inheritance pattern is shown by a trait that skips generations?
Autosomal dominant
Autosomal recessive
X-linked dominant
X-linked recessive
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What type of inheritance pattern is shown by a trait that skips generations?
Step 1: Understand what a trait is. A trait is a characteristic that can be passed from parents to children.
Step 2: Learn about alleles. Alleles are different forms of a gene that determine traits.
Step 3: Know the difference between dominant and recessive alleles. Dominant alleles can show their trait even if there is only one copy, while recessive alleles need two copies to show the trait.
Step 4: Recognize what autosomal means. Autosomal traits are located on non-sex chromosomes, meaning they can affect both males and females equally.
Step 5: Understand what it means for a trait to skip generations. This happens when a trait is not expressed in one generation but appears in the next.
Step 6: Realize that for a recessive trait to show up, a person must inherit two recessive alleles (one from each parent). If both parents carry one recessive allele but do not show the trait, their child can inherit both recessive alleles and express the trait.
Step 7: Conclude that traits that skip generations are typically autosomal recessive traits.
