Title: How Genetic Disorders Are Inherited
Headings: How Genetic Disorders Are Inherited
How Genetic Disorders Are Inherited
Understanding Patterns of Inheritance
Patterns of Inheritance
Autosomal Dominant
Autosomal Recessive
X-Linked Dominant
X-Linked Recessive
Mitochondrial
Other Inheritance Patterns
Y-Linked Disorders
Codominance

Content: How Genetic Disorders Are Inherited
Rare Diseases
Genetic Disorders
How Genetic Disorders Are Inherited
Understanding Patterns of Inheritance
By
Cherie Berkley, MS
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Cherie Berkley is an award-winning journalist and multimedia storyteller covering health features for Verywell. Learn about our editorial process
Cherie Berkley, MS
Medically reviewed by
Medically reviewed by Elizabeth Molina Ortiz, MD, MPH on September 25, 2020
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Elizabeth Molina Ortiz, MD, MPH, is a board-certified specialist in family medicine and is the former medical director of a community health center. Learn about our Medical Review Board
Elizabeth Molina Ortiz, MD, MPH
on September 25, 2020
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Table of Contents
Patterns of Inheritance
Genetic disorders are precisely what they sound like: Diseases caused by a mutation of a gene. When such diseases are inherited (rather than the result of a random mutation), it means they are passed along to a child from one or both parents according to a specific patterns of inheritance. These patterns are determined by the gene involved, whether only one or both parents have the gene, which chromosome it is on, and other factors. 1 ﻿ The presence of a mutation doesn't always translate to the disease it's associated with. For example, Huntington's disease, breast cancer, and autoimmune diseases are associated with specific genes, but a person who inherits them won't necessarily develop these conditions. On the other hand, some genetic mutations, such as those linked to hemophilia, will always manifest the disorder. Furthermore, the environment can have an effect on the degree to which a gene mutation is expressed, which explains why in some cases family members with the same genetic mutation may experience an inherited disorder somewhat differently.