(1) Identify a disorder or other condition that seems to be “running in your family”. This may involve formal or informal conversation with relatives you haven’t seen in a while. You may also opt to research a condition in a family of someone you know well enough to obtain very personal information. Please be tactful when you are talking with people – remember that you will be asking them some very personal questions.
(2) Construct a family tree according to the correct procedure outlined in class and in the supplementary reading. Obtain as much information as you can as to which family member(s) have the condition. It is just as important to identify who does NOT have the condition.
(3) Outline signs, symptoms, etiology, statistical rate of occurrence, and treatments for the condition. Be sure to keep this part concise, even though there might be “tons” of information on the condition.
(4) Part of your analysis will be to answer these questions:
1. Is the trait controlled by a single gene, more than one gene, or is it not genetic at all?
2. Is there a heavy environmental (geographic or physiological) influence?
3. Are there variations in expression of the symptoms?
4. If genetic, can someone have the gene or genes without having symptoms?
5. If non-genetic, can someone have the symptoms without having defective genes?
6. At what age does it onset?
The trait you study will – guaranteed!!! – have its own unique, additional set of questions to be answered.
(6) Following all the principles of accurate, legal genetic counseling, write up a genetic counseling analysis for this family to include the following MINIMUM:
a. Choose one person in this family (it could certainly be yourself) and determine what the “odds” are of passing this trait on to the next generation.
b. Support these conclusions with very strong evidence.