Biology – Geneticist

In this assignment you are a genetics counselor. You met with two parents whose first child has sickle cell anemia. (The parents show no signs of the disease themselves). The mother comes to you in the third month of her second pregnancy, and wants to know if this child will also inherit the disease. As a genetics counselor, you are ready to evaluate this couple’s case by doing the following:

1. Determine what the genotype of each parent is. Is this disease autosomal or sex-linked? Dominant or recessive?
2. Describe the type of test(s) would you give the mother to evaluate if the fetus is also carrying the gene for this disorder.
3. What is the probability that her 2nd child will also have the disorder?
4. Explain to them why is this condition so common in the African-American community.
5. Describe the type of mutation in the hemoglobin gene that causes sickle-cell anemia.

Write a report as part of the medical record that describes what you told the couple to explain the above five points.