Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

What does an empty circle indicate in a pedigree chart?

1. A diseased male

2. A healthy female

3. A diseased female

4. A healthy male

The correct answer is: A healthy female

In pedigree charts, symbols are used to represent individuals and their health status, with circles typically representing females and squares representing males. An empty circle specifically indicates a female who does not have the condition being tracked in that pedigree, hence signifying that she is healthy. Understanding this symbol is crucial for interpreting genetic inheritance patterns and can help in identifying carriers of genetic conditions, tracking the chances of passing on diseases, or determining the overall health status of a family lineage. Therefore, recognizing that an empty circle represents a healthy female is essential in analyzing pedigree information effectively.