Question

Imagine you are looking at a STR profile of a mother's genomic DNA and her biological child's genomic DNA. Will the number of repeats (STRs) at each loci be the same between the mother and daughter?

Select one:

a. No, because the child only gets DNA from the father.

b. Yes, because the sperm DNA gets destroyed.

c. Yes, because the DNA of mother and children are identical.

d. No, because the biological father contributed half of the child's DNA.

e. Yes, because the child developed from an egg produced by the mother.

Answer 1

The number of repeats (STRs) at each loci will not be the same between a mother and her biological child because the biological father contributes half of the child's DNA. The child's DNA profile will have STRs matching both parents, reflecting a mix of genetic information from each parent.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question of whether the number of repeats (STRs) at each loci will be the same between the mother and daughter is d. No, because the biological father contributed half of the child's DNA. In order to establish that a child is related to the mother and father, the child's DNA fingerprint must contain STR patterns that match those of both parents. Each parent contributes one allele for each locus, so the combination of alleles in the child includes one from the mother and one from the father.

DNA profiles are unique to each individual except for identical twins, but a child's DNA will always share similarities with the mother's and father's DNA. Sexual reproduction in humans involves the fusion of two haploid gametes: one from the mother (egg) and one from the father (sperm), resulting in a child with a combination of both parents' genetic information. This is due to the fact that gametes are produced through meiosis, which halves the chromosome number, so when they combine at fertilization, the normal diploid number of chromosomes is restored.