Final answer:
The statement is true; if a child does not inherit the Huntington's disease defective gene, they cannot develop the disease nor pass it on to their children.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Huntington's Disease Inheritance
Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. This means that a child only needs to inherit one copy of the defective gene from an affected parent to develop the disease. The disease results in the breakdown of brain cells, leading to symptoms such as muscle spasms and personality changes, typically appearing in middle age.
If one parent carries the defective gene for Huntington's disease, there is a 50 percent chance of passing it on to each child. Consequently, if a child does not inherit the defective gene, they will not develop Huntington's disease and cannot pass it on to their offspring. Therefore, the statement is True: If a child doesn't inherit the defective gene, he or she won't develop Huntington's disease and can't pass it on to his or her own children.