Question

Tay-sachs disease is an inherited genetic disorder in which the gene sequence codes for an enzyme involved in lipid metabolism. accumulation of lipids in the brain leads to seizures, blindness, loss of neural function, and early death. people can be carriers of this disease and only homozygotic offspring will die from this disorder. when the enzyme structure of a heterozygote carrier is examined, there is an equal number of functioning and non-functioning enzymes produced. this is an example of:________

Answer 1

Tay-Sachs disease is caused by a child inheriting two copies of a mutated gene, leading to a non-functional enzyme and lipid accumulation in the brain. This inherited genetic disorder is a result of a recessive lethal inheritance pattern and manifests due to malfunctioning lysosomes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Tay-Sachs disease is an inherited genetic disorder that is fatal to children who inherit two copies of a mutated gene, one from each parent. In heterozygous individuals, who are carriers, there is a presence of both normal and non-functioning enzyme variants, leading to partial function. This is an example of codominance, where both alleles for a gene are expressed in the phenotype.

A child becomes affected with Tay-Sachs by inheriting two copies of the mutated gene, one from each carrier parent. This recessive lethal inheritance pattern results in the production of a non-functional enzyme, leading to the accumulation of sphingolipids in neurons, and ultimately, neuronal death.

The malfunctioning organelle in cells affected by Tay-Sachs is the lysosome, which is responsible for breaking down waste and recycling cellular components. In Tay-Sachs, due to the enzyme deficiency, the lysosomes do not function properly, leading to the disease's characteristic symptoms and progression.