Your mother has albinism, which is a recessive trait. your father has cystic fibrosis, which is also a recessive trait. you discover that your new father-in-law has albinism and cystic fibrosis. if neither you nor your spouse has either albinism or cystic fibrosis, what are the odds that your first child will have both albinism and cystic fibrosis?

The correct answer to the question: If neither you nor your spouse has either albinism or cystic fibrosis, what are the odds that your first child will have both albinism and cystic fibrosis, would be: 1 in 16.

Explanation:

The topic of genetics, and especially ineritance of traits, whether from parents, or grandparents, or anyone directly linked to your line, is a pretty complex one and it depends entirely on two factors: chromosomal dominance and recessiveness, and the probability combinations that arise from crossing these. Essentially, in this case, both you and your partner have directly inherited the genes for both albinism and CF, but these have not been dominant in you, but recessive, for both conditions. The odds of a child of yours receiving and actually displaying the traits for both albinism and CF will depend entirely on the crossing of genetical material, dominant and recessive chromosomes from both you and your partner. Even though albinism and CF are recessive traits, they can become the feature that will be displayed on your child by combination and probability. This probability in this case gives 1/16.