In: Biology
1. Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr and Mrs Doe both had baby girls at Bay Hospital. The hospital mixed up which girl belonged to which couple. Baby X is blood type O, Baby Y is blood type A. Mr Smith is blood type AB. Mr Doe is blood type B. Both Mrs Smith and Mrs Doe are blood type A. Can you solve which baby goes to which couple? In the form below, list all possible genotypes and indicate the parents for each baby.
Blood typing is determined by the presence of allele IA, IB and i allele. Alleles IA and IB are codominant and allele i is recessive.
Blood type A contains either IAIA or IAi genotype. Blood type B contains either IBIB or IBi genotype. Blood group AB contains IAIB genotype. Blood group O contains ii genotype.
Now, Mr. Smith is blood type AB so his genotype is IAIB and Mrs Smith is blood type A having either IAIA or IAi. So they have 2 possibilities of having child with the following blood groups.
IAIB X IAIA
IA | IA | |
IA | IAIA | IAIA |
IB | IAIB | IAIB |
or
IAIB X IAi
IA | i | |
IA | IAIA | IAi |
IB | IAIB | IBI |
Here no offspring produced is of type O blood group because none of the child has ii genotype.
And Mr Doe is Blood type B which can be genotype IBIB or IBi and Mrs Doe is blood type A which can be genotype IAIA or IAi.
So the possible genotypes of offspring will be
IA | i | |
IB | IAIB | IBi |
i | IAi | ii |
Here we have obtained a child of blood type O.
Therefore baby X belongs to Mr and Mrs Doe. Baby Y belongs to Mr and Mrs Smith.