Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy
Sex-linked; Genetic Disorder
Facts and explanation of Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy
~There are multiple forms of Muscular Dystrophy but Duchenne's is a form that worsens very quickly and is harmful to the person affected
~Since this denetic disorder is sex-linked, mainly males are affected, and females are rarely affected. To be precise, about 1 in every 3,600 males infants are affected by this disorder.
~Muscular Dystrophy is caused by a defective gene in dystrophin, a protein in the muscles.
~Duchenne's is sex linked, so if a Father was unaffected, and a mother was a carrier there would be a 50% chance of a son being affected, and a 50% chance of a daughter being a carrier.
~It is very rare for a female to be affected by this disorder because of the fact that the father would have to be affected by Duchennes and the mother must be a carrier as well. Its unlikely though for there to be a father that is affected by Duchenne's, because it is difficult for most affected to make it to adulthood, and if they do, attempting reproduction would be extremely difficult as they need assistance trying to breath.
Symptoms/Effects Of Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy
~Affects to the muscles before age 6(normally):
~Muscle weakness begins more severely in the legs and pelvis, as well as, but less drastically in the arms neck and other areas
~Difficulty with balance/standing in general; ie falling occurs often
~Difficulty getting up from laying down, or trouble climbing stairs
Around age 12 ability to walk may be lost completely, and child will most likely need a wheelchair
People affected will have difficulty breathing around age 20, and have signs of heart disease start appearing around the same time
Possible treatment
Use of wheel chair depending on age(males)
Progression of symptoms over time/age
Works Cited
Works Cited
"Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy." KIN450-Neurophysiology -. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Haldeman-Englert, Chad, MD, Department of Pediatrics, and Etc.
"Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 3 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
"Muscular Dystrophy - Boundless Open Textbook." Boundless. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.