Genetic carrier

A konduktor ( carriers ) for a particular trait is an individual that carries the genetic trait for a property without it has this property itself. The term carrier is used, because the konduktor can pass the property on to future generations or transferred.

Conductors there is in so-called dominant-recessive Erbgängen, ie those Erbgängen in which an occurrence of a particular feature weaker ( recessive) than another ( dominant). An example of two versions of a feature would be blue and brown eyes for the phenotypic property " eye color". An individual has both a genetic trait for the dominant expression as well as a genetic trait for the recessive expression of a characteristic, the dominant expression prevails. The appearance (phenotype ) of the individual corresponding to the dominant genetic trait. The individuals of most species (including all higher animals and plants ) have the genetic material for a double feature, because the chromosomes are present twice ( diploid).

For an individual who is heterozygous ( heterozygous ) thus has the heredity for the dominant and recessive for the expression, is not externally recognizable that it also has the recessive genetic trait. Such an individual is called konduktor. But if this individual has descendants, the recessive form of expression can appear. This happens if the descendant does not have a dominant genetic trait, which covers the recessive. The konduktor then transferred the property to his descendants.

Particularly frequently, the term is konduktor in human genetics used when the speech of Erbgängen is where the considered feature on the X chromosome is ( X-linked inheritance ). The conductors are here always female and are therefore referred to as female carriers. Men can not be konduktor in such Erbgängen because they have only one X chromosome. Therefore, the genetic trait for the considered feature is not present in duplicate. Men possess the genetic material for the recessive expression corresponds to its appearance this genetic trait. Women have two hereditary factors for the considered feature in contrast. Therefore, you can have the recessive and dominant genetic trait and be as Konduktorin. An example of a feature that is inherited in this way, is the red-green color blindness. Men are much more frequently affected by this disease than women.

• Genetics