Title: Inherited Diseases: Types, Causes and Symptoms
Headings: What Are Inherited Diseases (Genetic Disorders)?
What Are Inherited Diseases (Genetic Disorders)?
Table of Contents
What exactly are genes?
Chromosomal aberrations or abnormalities
1. Aneuploidy
a. Down Syndrome
b. Turner syndrome
2. Deletion
3. Inversion
4. Translocation
a. Balanced translocation
b. Robertsonian translation:
Single Gene disorders
a. Achondroplasia
b. Marfan Syndrome
c. Cystic fibrosis
d. Sickle cell disease
e. Tay-Sachs disease
X-linked disorders
a. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
b. Haemophilia
Multifactorial diseases
a. Alzheimer’s disease
Mitochondrial genetic inheritance
a. Leber’s Hereditary Optic Atrophy
b. Myoclonic Epilepsy with ragged red fibres
In conclusion:
Sources:

Content: During copulation and fertilization, each parent gives up one pair of their gene to their offspring and as such, every baby grows up with two sets of genes. These babies grow and pass on two sets of genes to their offspring and the cycle continues on. The purpose of a gene is to carry out specific instructions for the body. Some genes do multitask by carrying out more than one instruction. These instructions that the gene carry out is mostly towards the formation of a particular protein and there are many types of proteins that carry out different functions. Proteins make up the building blocks of our bodies. Having established the importance of genes, there are certain diseases that are caused as a result of the malformations of these genes and these diseases are known as inherited or genetic diseases. Sometimes these genetic malformations are passed down from one set of genes of the parent to the offspring and at other times, there is a spontaneous change in the DNA that affects the formation of these genes. Due to the spontaneous change in the gene of the offspring, it is entirely possible to have a child with genetic disorders whereas the parents are healthy with no genetic malformations. This condition is known as a new mutation.