Question

Individuals who suffer from phenylketonuria:

Select one:
a. Do not produce the enzyme necessary to convert phenylalanine to another amino acid
b. Have two alleles that produce a nonfunctional enzyme
c. Are homozygous for this trait
d. Should not use the artificial sweetener aspartame
e. All of the above are correct

Answer 1

Individuals with phenylketonuria lack the enzyme to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine, have two nonfunctional alleles for the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase, are homozygous for the PKU trait, and should avoid aspartame. All the provided statements are correct. The correct option is e.

Step-by-step explanation:

Individuals who suffer from phenylketonuria (PKU):

• Do not produce the enzyme necessary to convert phenylalanine to another amino acid tyrosine.
• Have two alleles that produce a nonfunctional enzyme, phenylalanine hydroxylase.
• Are homozygous for this trait, meaning they have inherited two copies of the defective gene, one from each parent.
• Should not use the artificial sweetener aspartame, because it can be broken down to phenylalanine, which they cannot properly metabolize.
• All of the above are correct, as they collectively describe the various aspects of PKU. The correct option is e.