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In genetics, recessiveness describes a gene that fails to express itself due to the dominance of its partner gene. An autosomal recessive genetic disorder occurs when an individual inherits two copies of a mutated recessive gene, one from each parent.1

For example, sickle cell anemia is an autosomal recessive disease. Both parents must carry the mutated gene for their child to develop the condition, even though the parents themselves may not show symptoms. The chance of a child inheriting this condition from two carrier parents is one in four for each pregnancy. This pattern of inheritance is one of the categories for single-gene Mendelian disorders.12

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