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In Tay-Sachs Disease, the build-up of what lipids gradually destroys brain and nerve function?

A) Phospholipids
B) Sphingolipids
C) Glycolipids
D) None of the above

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Tay-Sachs Disease is characterized by the harmful build-up of sphingolipids in brain and nerve cells due to enzyme deficiency.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Tay-Sachs Disease, the build-up of certain lipids known as sphingolipids gradually destroys brain and nerve function. This accumulation is due to a malfunction in an organelle responsible for breaking down these lipids. In healthy cells, sphingolipids are important constituents of the myelin sheath that surrounds the axon of a nerve cell but in Tay-Sachs, the enzyme needed to break down sphingolipids is missing or dysfunctional, leading to their harmful build-up.

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