The figure shows the pedigree for a family. Dark-shaded symbols represent individuals with one of the two major types of colon cancer. Numbers under the symbols are the individual's age at the time of diagnosis. Males are represented by squares, females by circles.

From this pedigree, this trait seems to be inherited ________.

Question

The figure shows the pedigree for a family. Dark-shaded symbols represent individuals with one of the two major types of colon cancer. Numbers under the symbols are the individual's age at the time of diagnosis. Males are represented by squares, females by circles.

From this pedigree, this trait seems to be inherited ________.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of the disease in every generation suggests that this disease is autosomal dominant. The fact that both males and females are affected rules out X-linked inheritance. The fact that an affected individual has an affected parent rules out autosomal recessive inheritance. There is no evidence of epistasis, where the expression of one gene affects the expression of another gene.

The Figure Shows the Pedigree for a Family