Mutations are changes in the DNA of living things. They can be helpful by creating new traits, but they can also cause problems. Here are some ways mutations can be harmful:
Some mutations can cause proteins to work wrongly or not at all. For example, a tiny change in the gene that helps make hemoglobin can lead to sickle cell anemia. This disease affects about 1 in 500 African-American babies. The faulty hemoglobin causes the red blood cells to change shape, which can lead to pain and damage to organs.
Certain mutations can cause inherited health issues. A good example is cystic fibrosis, which comes from a change in the CFTR gene. It affects about 1 in 2,500 live births in white people, causing serious breathing and digestion problems. These mutations mess up normal cell functions, making thick mucus build up in different organs.
Mutations can increase the chance of getting cancer. About 5-10% of cancers are passed down in families due to mutations in specific genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2. People with these mutations have a roughly 72% chance of getting breast cancer by age 80, while the average chance for everyone else is around 12%.
Some mutations can interfere with normal growth and development. For instance, changes in the Sonic hedgehog (SHH) gene can cause a serious condition called holoprosencephaly, where the brain doesn’t split into two halves like it should. This happens in about 1 in 10,000 births.
Certain mutations can completely shut down a gene's activity. This can lead to serious conditions where necessary processes in the body stop working, causing cells to die or leading to other health issues. One example is phenylketonuria (PKU), from mutations in the gene that helps produce a protein called phenylalanine hydroxylase. If not treated with a special diet, PKU can result in severe learning problems.
Mutations are important for evolution because they create different traits, but they can also cause serious health problems. These negative effects can lead to diseases and affect people's health and how they live. By studying these harmful mutations, we can learn more about evolution and genetics in medicine.
Mutations are changes in the DNA of living things. They can be helpful by creating new traits, but they can also cause problems. Here are some ways mutations can be harmful:
Some mutations can cause proteins to work wrongly or not at all. For example, a tiny change in the gene that helps make hemoglobin can lead to sickle cell anemia. This disease affects about 1 in 500 African-American babies. The faulty hemoglobin causes the red blood cells to change shape, which can lead to pain and damage to organs.
Certain mutations can cause inherited health issues. A good example is cystic fibrosis, which comes from a change in the CFTR gene. It affects about 1 in 2,500 live births in white people, causing serious breathing and digestion problems. These mutations mess up normal cell functions, making thick mucus build up in different organs.
Mutations can increase the chance of getting cancer. About 5-10% of cancers are passed down in families due to mutations in specific genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2. People with these mutations have a roughly 72% chance of getting breast cancer by age 80, while the average chance for everyone else is around 12%.
Some mutations can interfere with normal growth and development. For instance, changes in the Sonic hedgehog (SHH) gene can cause a serious condition called holoprosencephaly, where the brain doesn’t split into two halves like it should. This happens in about 1 in 10,000 births.
Certain mutations can completely shut down a gene's activity. This can lead to serious conditions where necessary processes in the body stop working, causing cells to die or leading to other health issues. One example is phenylketonuria (PKU), from mutations in the gene that helps produce a protein called phenylalanine hydroxylase. If not treated with a special diet, PKU can result in severe learning problems.
Mutations are important for evolution because they create different traits, but they can also cause serious health problems. These negative effects can lead to diseases and affect people's health and how they live. By studying these harmful mutations, we can learn more about evolution and genetics in medicine.