Essay on Huntington’s Disease - 990 Words

Near the end of the short arm of chromosome four, there exists a gene which can cause an individual to experience three completely different lives. If the gene is expressed normally, one will never know, as it will not cause the person any harm. However, if the gene simply does not exist, the individual will be born with Wolf-Hirschorn Syndrome, a devastating illness which causes disfigured facial features and mental retardation. (Ridley, 55) Victims of this syndrome rarely live past the age of seven. The last and most interesting situation occurs when this gene becomes mutated. In this case, the individual will suffer from Huntington’s Chorea, a debilitating neurological disease which will not show its effects until mid-life.†¦show more content†¦Those afflicted with Huntington’s Disease generally begin to exhibit problems with their â€Å"control of bodily movements, intellectual functioning and emotion(s)† (Fact Sheet: Huntington’s Disease ). The disease generally begins to affect the individual around the age of fifty, though it can occur much earlier. The victim will usually suffer for ten to twenty-five years before succumbing to complications of the illness, generally heart failure or aspiration pneumonia (Fact Sheet: Huntington’s Disease). The area of the Huntington Gene which is known to mutate contains only one â€Å"word† each consisting of three â€Å"letters† as Ridley explains (55). The repetition of the bases â€Å"C A G† throughout the gene can occur anywhere from once to over one hundred times. The number of repetitions determines whether or not an individual sees the effects of the disease and at what age the symptoms begin. The mutated form of the gene arises when an excessive number of â€Å"C A G† repetitions occur. The average number of repeats for a normal Huntington Gene is between ten and fifteen (Ridley, 55). A study presented by Dr. Kathleen Shannon at the General Meeting of the Illinois Chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America on March 7, 1997 concluded that there are specific numerical cut-offs for having Huntington’s.Show MoreRelated Huntingtons Disease Essay1715 Words   |  7 PagesHuntington’s disease is a degenerative neurolo gical disorder affecting movement, cognition, and emotional state (Schoenstadt). There are two forms of Huntington’s disease (Sheth). The most common is adult-onset Huntington’s disease, with persons usually developing symptoms in their middle 30s and 40s (Sheth). There is an early onset form of Huntington’s disease, beginning in childhood or adolescence, and makes up a small percentage of the Huntington’s population (Sheth). Huntington’s disease is aRead MoreHuntington’s Disease Essay787 Words   |  4 Pagesmuch about Huntington’s disease. After reading this paper and the subsequent ones to come, you surely will. 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The symptoms of the disease do not start to occur until after or around 40 years of age. With the onset of the disease the patient starts to gradually deteriorate intellectually, this deterioration also causes involuntary movements. Scientists have only recently found the section of the gene which causes Huntingtons disease, and this is allowed themRead MoreTaking a Look at Huntingtons Disease1745 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. The cytoplasmic protein affected in Huntington’s disease is Huntingtin, coded for by the Huntingtin gene. The mutated version of the Huntingtin protein has several degenerative consequences on the molecular level. These are mainly caused by the elongated chain of glutamines that abberantly interacts with proteins and diminishes their biological functions. The mutated protein alsoRead MoreEssay on Huntingtons Disease - An Overview1185 Words   |  5 PagesHuntingtons Disease - An Overview Huntingtons Disease is a devastating and progressive neurological disorder that resu lts primarily from degeneration of nerve cells deep in the center of the brain. The condition was first described by George Huntington, a physician in New York, in 1872. Even then, the physician recognized the all-encompassing factors of the disorder when describing it as, coming on gradually but surely, increasing by degrees, and often occupying years in its developmentRead MoreEssay on Understanding Huntingtons Disease2054 Words   |  9 PagesUnderstanding Huntingtons Disease Huntingtons disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder. It is passed on to children from one or both parents (though two parents with Huntingtons is extraordinarily rare) in an autosomal dominant manner. This is different from autosomal recessive disorder, which requires two altered genes (one from each parent) to inherit the disorder. So if one parent has it, and passes the gene on to a child, that child will develop Huntingtons disease if they live