Inherited Diseases

In humans, several hundred genetic diseases and disorders follow the dominant-recessive pattern. If a child inherits one dominant allele and one recessive allele he or she typically does not have the disease. A carrier can pass either the dominant or recessive allele to their child. It can receive a mutated allele from the mother and a normal allele from the father, or a normal allele from the mother and a mutated allele from the father. The child develops the disease only if he or she receives a mutated allele from each parent. …