Creating a pedigree
Directions: Read the information below about the Jones family. Then, create a
pedigree for this family. Huntington’s Disease is autosomal dominant, so individuals
will be male or female, affected or healthy.
“My name is Melissa. I am 42 and I have Huntington’s Disease. When I married my
husband at the age of 25, I did not know that I had this disease, but I did know that
my mother died of it and my healthy father lived on without her. Luckily, my
husband is healthy. He and I have 2 boys and a girl. Our eldest son has the disease.
Our other 2 children are healthy. I have 4 sisters; 3 of them have it, and all 3 of them
have healthy husbands. My youngest sister is healthy. She is not married, and has
no children. My sister Diane has 1 daughter who has it, and Jane has 2 boys, one of
whom has it. We can trace the disease back to my grandmother on my mother’s
side. She had it; my grandfather was healthy. My grandmother had 3 kids – my
mom (who had it as mentioned earlier), my Uncle Dave (who had it), and my Aunt
Claire (who also had it). Dave’s daughter has the disease, while his son and wife are
healthy. Claire’s 2 younger boys (Jack and Jim) have it, but her two older boys and
her husband are healthy. Jack’s son and daughter also have it, and Jim’s 2 daughters
do too. “