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Edexcel IGCSE Biology · Spec 3.24

Family Pedigrees

How to read and interpret family pedigree diagrams to follow inherited characteristics.

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Family Pedigrees

Spec 3.24

What you need to know

  • Read the symbols in a pedigree chart
  • Follow a characteristic through a family
  • Work out whether a condition is recessive

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Quick check

Answer each question before opening the answer.

How can you tell an allele is recessive from a pedigree?

Two unaffected parents have an affected child, showing they were carriers of a hidden recessive allele.

What does a pedigree diagram show?

How a characteristic is inherited through the generations of a family.

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