MODE OF GENETIC INHERITANCE
Children inherit two copies of each gene –one from each parent. OI can be inherited in two different ways.
- Dominant Mutation - only one copy of the OI mutated gene is necessary for the child to have OI.
- Recessive Mutation - the child must inherit a mutated gene from both parents.
- This means that a parent might not have the disease, but they carry the mutated gene for OI. The parent can still pass the mutated gene to the next generation.
- In this situation, the parents do not have OI, but both carry the mutation in their genes.
- In the majority of cases, the gene is either inherited from a parent who has OI or results from a new mutation during fertilization.