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: 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. 2 ﻿
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Patterns of Inheritance
The various patterns of inheritance are attributed to the Austrian scientist Gregor Mendel, who discovered them while working with garden pea hybrids in the 1800s. Mendel sometimes is referred to as the father of modern genetics; likewise, the patterns of inheritance for single-gene diseases are often described as Mendelian. 3 ﻿
According to Mendel's work, there are five distinct patterns of inheritance: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive, and mitochondrial.