A couple, Susan and Mark, are expecting the delivery of their baby girl in the next three months. They never did any genetic testing before deciding to have children; however, Mark is a hemophiliac. The doctors recommended a third-trimester amniocentesis to test if the baby will carry the hemophiliac gene since some carriers can experience symptoms of hemophilia, and this information is needed to plan a safe delivery. The tests reveal that the baby girl is a hemophiliac and not just a disease carrier. You are tasked with explaining to Susan and Mark why the baby is fully hemophiliac and not just a carrier. (120 min)

Instructions: 

Step 1: Analyze

Review the required learning materials for this lesson.

Characteristics and Traits 

 Step 2: Respond 

Based on the scenario, prepare a 300-500 word piece explaining how genetics work. Your response should address the following points: 

• The laws of inheritance.
• The significance of genetic testing.
• Your conclusion about the offspring’s inheritance based on the Punnett Square (include what the parents’ genotypes might have been and how that relates to the offspring’s genotype).

Step 3: Share 

To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact

Evaluate and categorize the work from one of your peers based on items A - E of the rubric below. Provide a rationale for the grade you have provided, as well as comments or suggestions for improvement. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.” 

You can use the list below as an example:

Item A is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item B is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item C is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item D is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….
Item E is  .…. because….  My suggestions for improvement are….

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”