Color blindness is an X-linked recessive trait. If a carrier mother an...
he probability of having a male child is ½ . The probability of a male child being colorblind is also ½. Since the child has to be a male and color blind at the same time, we apply the product rule. Since we need to find out the probability of both the children being male and colorblind, So, 1/2*1/2*1/2*1/2 = 1/16 or 6.25%.
View all questions of this test
Color blindness is an X-linked recessive trait. If a carrier mother an...
To determine the probability of both children being male and both of them being color blind, we need to consider the genetic inheritance of color blindness, which is an X-linked recessive trait.
Explanation:
1. Inheritance of color blindness:
- Color blindness is caused by a mutation in the genes responsible for the perception of color, primarily located on the X chromosome.
- Since color blindness is an X-linked trait, it is more commonly observed in males because they have one X and one Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes.
- Males who inherit a single copy of the mutated gene will be color blind since they do not have a second X chromosome to compensate for the mutation.
- Females need to inherit two copies of the mutated gene to be color blind, as they have a second X chromosome that can potentially carry a normal copy of the gene.
2. Carrier mother and color blind father:
- A carrier mother has one normal and one mutated copy of the gene responsible for color vision on her two X chromosomes.
- A color blind father has two copies of the mutated gene on his X chromosome.
- The mother can pass on either her normal or mutated copy of the gene to her offspring, while the father can only pass on his mutated copy.
3. Probability of having male and color blind children:
- Since the father is color blind, he will always pass on his mutated gene to his male children.
- The mother, being a carrier, can pass on either her normal or mutated gene to her children.
- The probability of having a male child is 50%.
- The probability of passing on the mutated gene to a male child is 50%.
- Therefore, the probability of having both male children and both of them being color blind is 50% * 50% = 25%.
Thus, the correct answer is option 'b) 25%'.