Final answer:
A hemophiliac male and an unaffected female have a 50% chance of having a hemophiliac son if the female is a carrier of the trait. Hemophilia is rare in females because it requires two mutated X chromosomes. Hemophilia, mostly affecting males, leads to a deficiency in blood clotting factors, notably factors VIII or IX.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chances that a hemophiliac male and an unaffected female could have a baby that is a hemophiliac male are determined by the mother's genetic status. If the mother is a carrier of the hemophilia gene, then there is a 50% chance that a male child will have hemophilia. This is because hemophilia is an X-linked recessive condition, and females carry two X chromosomes while males carry one X and one Y chromosome. For a female child to have hemophilia, she would need to inherit the mutated gene from both parents, which is why hemophilia is much rarer in females as they would need two mutated X chromosomes to be hemophiliac.
Hemophilia causes a lack of clotting factors in the blood, which prevents blood clots from forming properly, leading to significant complications even from minor injuries. This disease is historically known for affecting European royal families and is most commonly caused by deficiencies in clotting factors VIII (Hemophilia A) or IX (Hemophilia B).