Essay about gene therapy

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The main framework of the body is covered by muscles, whose function is to permit movement and maintain posture.The muscular system is a vast network of tissues, which are attached to the skeletal framework of the body, with the help of nonelastic cords called tendons. Sensory receptors in the muscles monitor the tension and length of the muscles and provide the nervous system with information about the position of the body parts, thereby enabling posture to be maintained. It is the contraction and relaxation of muscles that enables us to walk, run, jump. It is also responsible for our standing, sitting, speaking, and blinking movements. When these muscles go on strike and stop contracting and relaxing, our bodies will not be able to move. This is why people with muscular disorders like muscular dystrophy, end up immobilized with time. The human body comprises over 630 muscles, of which the largest (gluteus maximus) is found in the buttocks.
. The muscular system comprises three different types of muscles: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles. The skeletal muscles, attached to various parts of the skeleton, comprise muscles that are either striated or striped. These muscles are also called voluntary muscles, because their movements can be controlled by us. For example, we can choose to raise our hand and pat somebody's shoulder, walk, run, swim, etc.Smooth muscles on the other hand, are involuntary muscles that are found lining the intestinal walls, stomach, lungs and other hollow organs. The movements of these muscles cannot be controlled by us, instead they are controlled by the autonomous nervous system. For example, we cannot control the peristaltic movement of food in the stomach. As the name implies, cardiac muscles are muscles lining the heart and are not found in any other part of the body. They are controlled by the sinus node, which is also influenced by the autonomous nervous system.
Cardiac muscles are less striated as compared to striated muscles and house several mitochondria for energy production. They also feature an extensive network of blood vessels, which supply oxygen to the muscles. Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited disorders that involve muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue, which get worse over time. Muscular dystrophies, or MD, are a group of inherited conditions, which means they are passed down through families. They may occur in childhood or adulthood.Symptoms vary with the different types of muscular dystrophy. All of the muscles may be affected. Or, only specific groups of muscles may be affected, such as those around the pelvis, shoulder, or face. Muscular dystrophy can affect adults, but the more severe forms tend to occur in early childhood. Symptoms include: Intellectual disbility, muscle weakness that slowly gets worse, delayed developement of muscle motor skills, difficulty using one or more muscle groups, drooling, eyelid drooping, frequent falls, loss of strength in a muscle or group of muscles as an adult, loss of muscle in size, and problems walking. A physical examination and your medical history will help the doctor determine the type of muscular dystrophy.
Specific muscle groups are affected by different types of muscular dystrophy. The doctors exam may show abnormally curved spine, joint ctractures, and low muscle tone. Physical
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