What is the primary function of a pedigree chart?

A pedigree chart primarily serves to illustrate relationships and inheritance patterns within a family. It visually represents family connections, showing how traits or genetic conditions are passed down through generations. By delineating relationships among family members—indicating parents, offspring, and siblings—a pedigree chart allows geneticists and clinicians to identify patterns of inheritance for specific traits, such as autosomal dominant or recessive conditions.

This tool is crucial in genetics for assessing risks of inherited diseases, understanding familial traits, and conducting genetic counseling. Its focus is on familial relationships rather than on health assessment, genome mapping, or evolutionary tracking, which are not the primary purposes of a pedigree chart.