Cystic Fibrosis Research Paper

Words: 2816
Pages: 12

Cystic fibrosis was discovered in 1989, and on average a person suffering from cystic fibrosis has a life span of 25-30 years, this being 50 years less than the average human being. It is both a common and deadly genetic condition of the secretory glands that causes the body to produce excess amounts of thick mucus, causing multiple problems inside the human body. These problems include lung infections (commonly bronchitis and pneumonia), constricting breathing and blocking the pancreas which stops digestive enzymes from getting to the intestine and therefore carrying out their required job of digesting foods. The digestive enzymes help break down food and therefore if blocked from doing this, the intestines cannot absorb the fats and proteins. …show more content…
Another common symptom of cystic fibrosis is extremely salty sweat, causing large amounts of salt lost from the body which causes an uneven balance of minerals in the blood and therefore can cause many problems including fatigue, dehydration, and decreased blood pressure. Mutations within a gene called Cystic Fibrosis Trans membrane Regulator (also known as CFTR) is what causes cystic fibrosis. There are over 1800 different mutations of this single gene known to man and therefore is a very common issue within our society. For normal cells the CFTR protein conducts as a channel that lets cells discharge chloride and other ions. Compared to people with cystic fibrosis, where the protein is faulty and therefore the cells are unable to release the chloride which results in an uneven salt ratio both in and out of the cells and the production of thicker mucus than usual. Mucus is produced by tissues that line multiple body cavities and organs and can be described as being thick, sticky and slippery. Its purpose is to prevent the lining of particular organs from drying out or becoming