Karen is right handed (Hh) and married Clint, who is left handed (hh). What are the chances their child will be left handed?
To determine the chances of their child being left-handed, we need to consider the genetic inheritance of hand dominance.
Since Karen is right-handed (Hh), she carries both the dominant allele (H) for right-handedness and the recessive allele (h) for left-handedness. On the other hand, Clint is left-handed (hh), carrying two copies of the recessive allele (h) for left-handedness.
To calculate the probability, we need to use a Punnett square. Cross Karen's alleles (Hh) with Clint's alleles (hh):
h h
H | Hh Hh
h | Hh Hh
From the Punnett square, we can see the following:
- There is a 50% chance that the child will inherit the allele for left-handedness (h) from Karen.
- There is a 100% chance that the child will inherit the allele for left-handedness (h) from Clint.
Therefore, the chances of their child being left-handed is 50% (from Karen) multiplied by 100% (from Clint), which equals a 50% chance.
To determine the chances of their child being left-handed, we need to consider the principles of genetics and the inheritance of handedness.
Handedness, or the preference for using a particular hand, is believed to be influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. While the exact genes responsible for handedness are not fully understood, some studies suggest that left-handedness may involve multiple genes.
In this case, Karen is right-handed (Hh) and Clint is left-handed (hh). Since Clint is left-handed, he carries two copies of the left-handedness gene (hh). Karen, being right-handed, carries at least one copy of the right-handedness gene (H).
To determine the chances of their child being left-handed, we can create a Punnett square to visualize the possible combinations of their genes:
| h | h
---|---|---
H | Hh | Hh
h | Hh | Hh
From the Punnett square, we can see that there is a 50% chance (2 out of 4 possibilities) that their child will inherit one copy of the left-handedness gene (Hh), making them right-handed. Similarly, there is also a 50% chance that their child will inherit two copies of the left-handedness gene (hh), making them left-handed.
Therefore, the chances of their child being left-handed are 50%.
To determine the chances of their child being left-handed, we need to consider the genetic inheritance of handedness. The handedness trait is thought to be influenced by multiple genes, although the precise genetics involved are not fully understood.
In this case, Karen is right-handed (Hh) and Clint is left-handed (hh). Let's assign the genotype for right-handedness as dominant (H) and left-handedness as recessive (h).
Since Karen is right-handed, her genotype is heterozygous (Hh), meaning that she carries both the dominant (H) and recessive (h) alleles for handedness. Clint is left-handed (hh), meaning he carries two copies of the recessive allele (h).
When they have a child, the possible combinations of alleles that the child can inherit are:
- H from Karen and h from Clint (Hh)
- H from Karen and h from Clint (Hh)
- h from Karen and h from Clint (hh)
- h from Karen and h from Clint (hh)
The chance that the child will inherit the left-handed allele (h) depends on whether Karen's genotype is Hh or HH.
If Karen is Hh:
- There is a 50% chance that the child will inherit the left-handed allele (h). So, the chance would be 1 out of 2, or 50%.
If Karen is HH:
- There is no chance that the child will inherit the left-handed allele (h). So, the chance would be 0 out of 2, or 0%.
Therefore, the chances of their child being left-handed would depend on whether Karen is Hh or HH.