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Genetic Counseling Case Study

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Imagine you are a genetic counselor. You counsel couples both before and after pregnancy on fertility, genetic disorders, and pregnancy issues. Several couples you counseled are discussed below. What may they learn by going to you, a genetic counselor?

1. The Millers have one brown-eyed female child and one male blue-eyed child. They are twins. How is this possible? Explain how that is possible by reviewing the phenotype and genotype of each child.

There are two different types of twins: monozygotic twins (identical) and dizygotic twins (not identical). In this case, the twins are dizygotic because they do not share the same characteristics or gender, so each twin has his/her own set of genes from the parents. It is likely that one of the …show more content…
Each parent has two different genes, which can consist of several different combinations. The parent could have two dominant genes, one dominant and one recessive gene, or two recessive genes. The parents of the child determine the type of genes the child inherits. In order for the child to inherit the disorder, the parents must both have at least one recessive gene. Even if both parents do not have the disorder, they could still be carriers of the recessive trait for the disorder. If both parents are carriers, they child will inherit the disorder. If one parent has one of the recessive genes and the other does not, the child will not inherit the …show more content…
Diane and Mark are having a hard time conceiving and want to talk about the best time for her to conceive.
• Explain when during her ovulation cycle she is most likely to conceive. Then explain the process through implantation into the uterus. Where in the process could she possibly fail to conceive? If Mark is suspected what would be the most likely cause?

Diane is most likely to conceive when her egg is released which normally occurs 12-14 days before her period begins.

When ovulation occurs in the woman, an egg is released from her ovaries and passes through the fallopian tubes. If the egg finds a sperm in the fallopian tubes, the egg is fertilized. After fertilization occurs, this marks the beginning of a new stage, the Germinal Stage. During this stage, the zygote divides and begins to grow more complex. The fertilized egg then travels towards the uterus, and then becomes implanted on the uterus’s wall.

During pregnancy, the female is most likely to miscarriage or fail to conceive in the first few months. Although there are several causes of a miscarriage, the most common is linked to a genetic abnormality. Many women do not realize that they have failed to conceive as they never new that they were pregnant. If Mark is suspected, the most common cause is producing too few sperm. Some other causes include the use of illicit drugs, cigarettes, and

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