What type of inheritance is associated with Marfan syndrome?

• A. Autosomal Dominant
• B. Autosomal Recessive
• C. X-linked Recessive
• D. Mitochondrial

Answer: (A)

Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder that is primarily inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. This means that an individual only needs one copy of the mutated gene from one parent to manifest the condition. The gene responsible for Marfan syndrome is located on chromosome 15 and affects the connective tissue in the body, leading to a variety of symptoms, including tall stature, long limbs, and heart and vision problems.

In autosomal dominant inheritance, each child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the disorder, regardless of the sex of the parent or child. This type of inheritance pattern is characteristic of conditions like Marfan syndrome, where even a single copy of the mutated gene can cause the disease due to its impactful role in the body's structural framework. The other options do not apply to Marfan syndrome, as it does not involve traits requiring two mutated alleles, sex-linked genes, or maternal inheritance from mitochondrial DNA.