Expert Answers

1. Determine if the trait of interest is dominant or recessive.
2. If the trait of interest is dominant, then individuals on the pedigree that have trait will have their shapes shaded.
3. The genotype of recessive individuals will be represented by to lower case alleles.

Genotype is determined by the makeup of alleles, pairs of genes responsible for particular traits. An allele can be made up of two dominant genes, a dominant and a recessive gene, or two recessive genes. The combination of the two, and which one is dominant, determines what trait the allele will express.

Certain combinations of DNA nucleotides will create different genotypes, or pairs of traits. The traits represented in a genotype can be dominant or recessive, and will determine how that feature is expressed by the organism. To determine a genotype, you can use a Punnett square.

A homozygous dominant (AA) individual has a normal phenotype and no risk of abnormal offspring. A homozygous recessive individual has an abnormal phenotype and is guaranteed to pass the abnormal gene onto offspring.

Blood type has no effect on your ability to have and maintain a happy, healthy marriage. There are some concerns about blood type compatibility if you’re planning to have biological children with your partner, but there are options during pregnancy that can help counteract these risks.

Infertility seems to be a greater problem among males than females with sickle cell disease, because such men rarely have fathered children, whereas many women with sickle cell disease have had sucessful pregnancies.

People with sickle cell disease have an increased risk of developing certain infections. They include pneumonia, blood stream infections, meningitis, and bone infections.

And definitely, SS and SS must not marry since there’s absolutely no chance of escaping having a child with the sickle cell disease. The only thing that can change the genotype is the bone marrow transplant (BMT).