Possibility of Inherited Diseases
Running head: Inherited disease
The Possibility of Inherited Diseases
SC235-03: General Biology I – Human Perspectives
Professor Frank Jenkins
The Possibility of Inherited Diseases Our bodies are made up of cells and within those cells hold our unique DNA and genetic make-up called genes. Genes are made up of strings of DNA and contain the directions that our bodies use to make the millions of proteins our bodies use (Ireland, 2010). Our genes are further organized into something called a chromosome. A chromosome contains our genes and in those genes you will find our DNA (Ireland, 2010), so you can say that our bodies are like a huge filing cabinet and the chromosomes are the folders where our information is stored. Chromosomes come in pairs and the human body has 23 pairs of chromosomes making up 46 individual units of organized DNA (Ireland, 2010). Each chromosome pair has one chromosome from the egg and one from the sperm, so genetic factors are important in establishing our individuality and the possibility of inheriting disease from one or both of our parents. In my family tree there is not a great risk to any significant health diseases or problems. My grandfather has diabetes, but he developed this condition as a result of the medications he had to take due to an exposer from his job when he was a very young man. My mother on the other hand does have high blood pressure and hypo-thyroid disorder. In addition to this my mother has acid reflux and so does my grandmother. The males in my family are very prone to having ADHD and the risk of me passing it along to my sons was very probable. As for the things that my mother and grandmother had, acid reflux, I had a very good chance of having this as well and I do. The hypo-thyroid disorder and high blood pressure did not occur with my mother until later in life, so it still stands to see if this gene has been passed down to me or not. As for my father’s side of the family, he doesn’t have any
The Possibility of Inherited Diseases
SC235-03: General Biology I – Human Perspectives
Professor Frank Jenkins
The Possibility of Inherited Diseases Our bodies are made up of cells and within those cells hold our unique DNA and genetic make-up called genes. Genes are made up of strings of DNA and contain the directions that our bodies use to make the millions of proteins our bodies use (Ireland, 2010). Our genes are further organized into something called a chromosome. A chromosome contains our genes and in those genes you will find our DNA (Ireland, 2010), so you can say that our bodies are like a huge filing cabinet and the chromosomes are the folders where our information is stored. Chromosomes come in pairs and the human body has 23 pairs of chromosomes making up 46 individual units of organized DNA (Ireland, 2010). Each chromosome pair has one chromosome from the egg and one from the sperm, so genetic factors are important in establishing our individuality and the possibility of inheriting disease from one or both of our parents. In my family tree there is not a great risk to any significant health diseases or problems. My grandfather has diabetes, but he developed this condition as a result of the medications he had to take due to an exposer from his job when he was a very young man. My mother on the other hand does have high blood pressure and hypo-thyroid disorder. In addition to this my mother has acid reflux and so does my grandmother. The males in my family are very prone to having ADHD and the risk of me passing it along to my sons was very probable. As for the things that my mother and grandmother had, acid reflux, I had a very good chance of having this as well and I do. The hypo-thyroid disorder and high blood pressure did not occur with my mother until later in life, so it still stands to see if this gene has been passed down to me or not. As for my father’s side of the family, he doesn’t have any
References: Ireland, K. (2010). Visualizing Human Biology: Second edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.