Cystic Fibrosis Essay

Words: 487
Pages: 2

Cystic fibrosis
What causes cystic fibrosis?
A mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulatory protein CFTR.

What does CFTR protein do?
It helps control the viscosity of mucus that lines the epithelial cells of the airways digestive and reproductive systems.

If the mucus in airways is:
• Too sticky- the cilia can’t beat and remove the mucus which then clogs up the airways.

How does it affect the lungs?
Sticky mucus builds up in the airways reducing flow of air into alveoli, lungs gradually fill up with mucus making them less effective for gas exchange.
Symptoms:
• Severe coughing- To remove excess mucus.
• Breathlessness- Shortage of oxygen increases tiredness and lack of energy.
• Infections- As bacteria are trapped in mucus.

Reproductive system:
Men
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Food is not digested and absorbed sufferers fail to put on body mass and suffer malnutrition.
Trapped digestive enzymes damage the pancreatic cells affecting cells producing insulin resulting in diabetes.

Dominance and co-dominance
What is dominance?
Dominance is when a gene is stronger than another so its characteristics and phenotype are present.
What is co-dominance?
Co-dominance is when both alleles are present because they are equal.

Haemophilia
Haemophilia is a condition that affects the bloods ability to clot, there are two different types of haemophilia the first is haemophilia A and the other haemophilia B. Haemophilia A is the most present in society affecting thousands of people especially males. The condition is inherited as it is passed from parent to child. The condition is caused by a mutation of the X chromosome.

Downs syndrome
What causes downs syndrome?
When someone suffers from downs syndrome it is because the cells in their body contain 47 chromosomes this means they have an extra chromosome compared to a non-sufferer. This extra is an extra copy of chromosome 21.
What are the