The Inbreeding Coefficient Can Be Used to Measure

Question

The inbreeding coefficient can be used to measure:
A) The decline in a complex phenotype
B) The increased frequency of recessive disorders among the offspring of consanguineous matings
C) The closeness of genetic relationships
D) All of these
E) None of these

Accepted Answer

The inbreeding coefficient measures the similarity of genetic material between organisms arising from their common ancestor. Thus, it can be used to examine the decline in a complex phenotype due to the loss of genetic diversity, the increased frequency of recessive disorders in offspring of consanguineous matings due to the expression of homozygous recessive mutations, and the closeness of genetic relationships between individuals in a population or family. Therefore, all of the options (A), (B), and (C) are correct, making choice (D) the best answer.