February 27

Pedigrees: Tracking Traits Through Generations 🧬

📅 Lesson Overview:
Today, we learned how to read and analyze pedigrees to track the inheritance of genetic traits through family trees. This skill helps us identify carriers, affected individuals, and patterns of inheritance for genetic disorders and traits.

📝 Key Concepts Covered:

1️⃣ What is a Pedigree?

• A pedigree is a diagram that traces a specific trait through multiple generations of a family.

• Pedigrees do not automatically show dominant or recessive traits but help identify patterns of inheritance.

2️⃣ Symbols Used in Pedigrees:

• Males = squares 🟦

• Females = circles 🟡

• Affected individuals = fully shaded

• Carriers (heterozygous) = half-shaded

• Unaffected individuals = unshaded

3️⃣ How to Read a Pedigree:

• Generations are labeled with Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.).

• Individuals within each generation are numbered from left to right.

• Example: II-3 means the third child in the second generation.

4️⃣ Tracking a Trait:

• Identified how traits are passed down and determined if they followed a dominant, recessive, or sex-linked inheritance pattern.

• Answered questions to practice analyzing pedigrees and identifying affected individuals and carriers.

🌍 Why This Matters:

Pedigree charts are used in genetics, medicine, and forensic science to track hereditary conditions, predict risks, and understand family genetics.

✅ Great job practicing how to track traits! Keep reviewing how dominant, recessive, and sex-linked traits appear in pedigrees. 🧬👨‍👩‍👧‍👦