Question

The accompanying hypothetical pedigree is for a family where some members have symptoms of leigh syndrome, which is caused by an mtdna mutation that reduces atpase of the following in the youngest generation might transmit the condition in the future?

Group of answer choices
A. any of the members of this generation
B. any of the women
C. any of those affectedany of the affected women
D. only those with an affected mother

Answer 1

Only affected women with Leigh syndrome, a mitochondrial disorder, can transmit the condition to their offspring since mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the case of Leigh syndrome, which is a mitochondrial disorder, the inheritance pattern is different from nuclear DNA because mitochondria are maternally inherited. Thus, the condition is passed down from mothers to all offspring, but only daughters will pass on their mitochondrial DNA to their children. In the context of transmission of Leigh syndrome in the future, only the affected women (those with symptoms and carrying the mitochondrial DNA mutation) can transmit the condition to the next generation.

Since Leigh syndrome is caused by an mtDNA mutation, it is only transmitted through the maternal line. Therefore, only those individuals in the youngest generation with an affected mother would potentially transmit the condition in the future.