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

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 pedigree suggests that the trait is inherited as an autosomal dominant, as affected individuals (dark-shaded symbols) are present in most generations and both males and females are affected. Autosomal recessive inheritance would require unaffected parents to produce affected offspring, which is not the case here. There is no evidence of epistasis, which refers to the interaction of multiple genes in determining a trait. There is also no evidence to suggest maternal inheritance, as affected individuals have both affected mothers and fathers.

Dark-Shaded Symbols Represent Individuals with One of the Two Major