Name:______________________

Human Genetic Disorders

Ch. 15 Sect. 2 pp. 571-575

1. A _____________________ is an abnormal condition that a person inherits through

genes or chromosomes.

2. Some genetic disorders are caused by ______________ in the DNA of genes. Other
______________ are caused by changes in the overall structure of number of
chromosomes.

3. ____________________ is a genetic disorder in which the body produces abnormally

thick mucus in the lungs and intestines.

4. How is the DNA in the sickle-cell allele different from the normal allele?

5. ________________________ affects hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that

carries oxygen.

6. _______________ is a genetic disorder in which a person’s blood clots very slowly or

not at all.

7. In ________________, a person’s cells have an extra copy of chromosome 21. People

with this disorder have some degree of mental retardation. Also, heart defects are also
common but can be treated.

8. One important tool that ________________ use to trace the inheritance of traits in
humans is a pedigree.

9. A _____________ is a chart of “family tree” that tracks which members of a family

have particular trait.

10. Today, doctors use tools such as ______________ to help diagnose genetic disorders.

11. List three ways people with genetic disorders can be helped.

12. A ______________ is a picture of all the chromosomes in a cell. This picture can
reveal whether a person has the correct number of chromosomes in his or her cells.

13. What do genetic counselors do?