Genetics/what color hair and eyes will my baby have
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Question
I have dark brown hair and green eyes, my mother has brown hair, brown eyes, my father has brown hair and blue eyes. my husband has blonde hair , blue eyes. his mother has blonde hair blue eyes, his father has black hair don't know eye color. can you give a prediction?
Candice,
Light brown hair with green or blue eyes.
You are homozygous for blue and heterozygous for green, so you will pass on a blue gene and possibly a green gene. Your husband has only blue genes (homozygous recessive), and only blond genes (also homozygous recessive). Since you are probably homozygous dominant for brown hair, you will probably donate a brown gene that will be "diluted" with your husband's blond gene.
The chance of green eyes is 50%; the chance of blue is also 50%. The chance of light brown is probably 100%, although if you are a silent carrier of a blond gene, then it is 50% brown:50% blond.
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Answers by Expert:
K Shows
Expertise
I am able to answer questions regarding human medical genetics, mouse genetic studies, molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology. I am also able to answer questions concerning prenatal and postnatal genetic testing but am ethically unable to give advice on such test results.
Experience
I have 10 years experience in human genetics, including clinical, population, and molecular genetics. I am currently an active researcher in molecular and developmental genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University/ Medical College of Virginia. I have previously taught genetics and cell biology at the college level.
Organizations
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
American Society of Human Genetics
Education/Credentials
B.S., Biochemistry, University of Southern Mississippi
M.S., Human Genetics, Louisiana State University Medical Center
Ph.D., Genetics and Vision Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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