You are a genetic counselor, and a couple comes to you with concerns that if they have a child together, he or she could have cystic fibrosis. Genetic tests reveal that the woman is a carrier for cystic fibrosis, but the man is not. How should you advise them?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive disorder, meaning a child must inherit two copies of the faulty gene (one from each parent) to have the condition. If one parent is a carrier (has one copy of the faulty gene) and the other parent does not carry the faulty gene, their children cannot have cystic fibrosis but each will have a 50% chance of being a carrier like the mother.

You Are a Genetic Counselor, and a Couple Comes to You