Final answer:
A pedigree is a chart used to follow human matings that have occurred and is invaluable in genetics for tracking inheritance patterns of traits through generations, helping to predict the likelihood of genetic disorders.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pedigree Analysis
A family tree used to follow human matings that have already occurred is known as a pedigree. Pedigree charts are instrumental tools in genetics for tracing the inheritance of specific traits, particularly genetic disorders, through several generations. By analyzing a pedigree, geneticists can identify inheritance patterns, and therefore predict the likelihood of offspring inheriting conditions like albinism, cystic fibrosis, and Huntington's disease, among others.
Each row within a pedigree represents a different generation, with females depicted as circles and males as squares. Their offspring are connected to their parent's symbol with a vertical line. By observing these patterns, it becomes possible to determine whether a genetic trait is sex-linked, autosomal, or exhibits any other type of inheritance pattern. Unlike test crosses, which are unethical in humans, or a karyotype analysis, which examines an individual's chromosomes, pedigrees provide non-invasive insight into familial genetic history and can guide decision-making about family planning and disease management.