You are a genetic counselor. A couple comes to you for advice. The female is pregnant with their first child. Both have family histories with Tay-Sachs disease, which is a disorder that progressively destroys nerve cells, leading to loss of motor skills, vision, and hearing. The disease is an autosomal recessive pattern. Which of the following statements is true? The child will likely have Tay-Sachs disease if both parents pass on the recessive alleles.
The child will likely have Tay-Sachs disease if both parents pass on the dominant alleles.
The child will only have Tay-Sachs disease if the mother passes on the recessive allele.
The child will likely have Tay-Sachs disease if the father passes on the dominant allele.