A severe disease that is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait is more likely to skip generations in a pedigree than an autosomal recessive trait that causes a harmless phenotypic variant because
A) all autosomal recessive traits skip generations.
B) a person with the harmless variant is less likely to reproduce than a person with the disease.
C) a person with an autosomal recessive disease is less likely to be well enough to reproduce than a person with a harmless trait variant.
D) all inborn errors of metabolism are dominant.
E) a family with an autosomal recessive disease is usually much smaller than a family with an autosomal recessive harmless trait variant.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A severe autosomal recessive disease often has a negative impact on the health of those affected, making it less likely for them to reproduce. On the other hand, a harmless variant is unlikely to affect reproductive abilities. Hence, the disease is more likely to skip generations.

A Severe Disease That Is Inherited as an Autosomal Recessive