Pedigree

How it is used

Used in clinical genetics and genetic counseling to work out the mode of inheritance. Standard symbols are used: squares for males, circles for females, filled shapes for affected people and a double line for a couple who are blood relatives. Clinicians 'draw', 'take' or 'analyze' a pedigree.

Example sentences

1. The genetic counselor drew a three-generation pedigree during the first visit.

2. In this pedigree only males are affected, and they are linked through healthy mothers, which suggests X-linked inheritance.

Common collocations

• draw a pedigree
• family pedigree
• pedigree analysis
• three-generation pedigree

Related terms

• inheritanceThe passing of genetic characteristics from parents to their offspring through genes.
• carrierA person who has one copy of a recessive disease-causing variant, usually without symptoms, and who can pass the variant on to their children.
• genetic counselingA service in which a trained professional helps people understand a genetic condition, the chance that it affects them or their family, and their testing options.
• dominantDescribes an allele that shows its effect even when only one copy is present, so it hides the effect of the other allele.
• recessiveDescribes an allele whose effect only appears when a person has two copies of it, one from each parent.

More terms: Inheritance and Population Genetics

• allele
• genotype
• phenotype
• trait
• heterozygous
• homozygous
• GWAS