Question

You are a genetic counselor. A couple comes to you for advice. The female is eight weeks pregnant with their first child. Both are Ashkenazi Jews, a segment of the population in which Gaucher disease is relatively common. Gaucher disease is a condition that can range from mild and treatable symptoms to severe, debilitating problems. The disease is an autosomal recessive pattern. Which of the following statements is true?

The child will likely have Gaucher disease if she has inherited recessive alleles from each parent.
The child will likely have Gaucher disease if she has inherited one dominant allele from her father.
The child will only have Gaucher disease if she has inherited both dominant alleles from her parents.
The child will only have Gaucher disease if she has received one recessive allele from her mother.

Answer 1

A) The child will likely have Gaucher Disease if she inherited RECESSIVE alleles from each parent.

D is ruled out because if the child only received one recessive allele but her other allele is dominant, then the most she could be is a carrier. Dominant over recessive.

C is wrong because the question states that the disease is a recessive pattern, while C is stating that the child would only have it if it inherited dominant alleles.

B is wrong. Like D, it’s dominant over recessive and the most the child could be is a carrier.

Therefore, I believe the answer is A, the first one.