Cystic Fibrosis

 

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) as it is more commonly known is the most common recessive disease found in Caucasian population, affecting 1 in 2500 births each year. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease and it is caused by a mutation of a single allele.  This disease is a cruel, affecting the respiratory, digestive, endocrine and reproductive system. 

Every person possesses 46 chromosomes, 23 from their mother and 23 from their father; when one of these chromosomes is defective then problems occur.  In the case of Cystic Fibrosis, chromosome 7 is defective.

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There are around 500 different genetic mutations associated with this disease, so screening for this disease is difficult. 70 % of the mutations are found to be delta F508, F508 is the most common CF mutation.

 

The inheritance of cystic fibrosis is caused if both parents are carriers of this disease.   There is a good 25 % chance that any of their children will be a sufferer.  But there is a 50 % chance of the child being a carrier themselves.  There is also an equal chance that a child will inherit no faulty alleles and his/her descendants will be free from the ...

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