<em>If a symbol is fully filled in a human pedigree, it means that the individual represented by the symbol is affected by the trait whose inheritance is being illustrated by the pedigree.</em>
The human pedigree generally represents a symbolic illustration of how a particular trait is inherited across generations in a particular family. It shows the relationship between the members of a family and how the trait is passed down each generation either in a silent or expressive form.
Individuals within a human pedigree are represented with symbols and <u>those affected by the trait in question are completely shaded</u>. <u>Those carrying the trait in silent form are half-shaded while those that do not have traces of the trait at all are left completely unshaded.</u>
