Autosomal recessive inheritance is a way a genetic condition is passed down when a child inherits two changed copies of a gene, one from each parent. If someone has only one changed copy, they are usually a carrier and do not have the condition.

Quick Scoop

  • “Autosomal” means the gene is on one of the 22 non-sex chromosomes, so it affects all sexes equally.
  • “Recessive” means both copies of the gene must be altered for the trait or disorder to appear.
  • If both parents are carriers , each child has about a 25% chance of having the condition, a 50% chance of being a carrier, and a 25% chance of inheriting no altered copy.
  • Examples include sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis.

Simple example

If both parents carry the same recessive gene change, they may be healthy themselves, but they can still pass the altered gene to a child. If the child gets one altered copy from each parent, the condition can show up.

Why it matters

This pattern is important in family planning and genetic counseling because carriers often do not know they carry the gene until a child is affected or testing is done.

If you want, I can also explain it with a Punnett square in a very simple way.