Devonte and Alondra have an 8 month old baby boy, Wilondja. They took Wilondja tothe doctor when he was not able to crawl or throw a toy like he had been doing. He was also having trouble swallowing. After testing, the doctor found that Wilondja has
Tay Sachs disease. Sadly, this disease causes fat to build up on the brain, killing the
nerve cells. This will lead to paralysis, seizures, and finally death.
Devonte and Alondra have a 3 year old daughter, Cindy who is healthy.
Directions: Use your knowledge of heredity, Punnett squares, and statistics to
determine the following:
1. The genotype and phenotype of Devonte and Alondra.
2. The genotype and phenotype of their daughter, Cindy.
3. The genotype and phenotype of Wilondja.
4. If Devonte and Alondra decide to have another baby, what is the probability that
the child will have Tay Sachs?
5. Is Tay Sachs caused by an environmental factor or is it hereditary? Give evidence
for your answer.