Lou_Gehrig’s_Disease

Lou Gehrig’s Disease Ian Berg September 3, 2001 Genetic Research Project Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) When both two homozygous recessive SOD1 genes mutate and are inherited by two parental organisms, or when one dominate and one recessive SOD1 genes mutate, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) occurs. The SOD1 gene is part of the long arm (as opposed to the shorter arm) of chromosome 21. Mutations in genes on chromosome 21 play roles in one form of Alzheimer's disease, progressive myoclonus epilepsy, autoimmune poly glandular syndrome type I, and many other diseases. The vast majority of ALS cases are, in fact, not inherited, but caused by some unknown reason. Approximately, 10% of all ALS cases are caused by heredity, while the other 90% through speculated viral and environmental causes. The reason the SOD1 gene is important to this condition is because the enzyme coded for by SOD1 carries out a very important function in cells: it removes dangerous super oxide radicals by converting them into non-harmful materials. Defects in the action of this enzyme mean that the super oxide radicals attack cells from the inside, causing their death. Several different mutations in this enzyme all result in ALS, making the exact molecular cause of the disease difficult disease, als, sod1, one, drug, people, muscles, genes, enzyme, breathing, two, super, sclerosis, result, research, recessive, reason, radicals, oxide, mutations, mutate, molecular, lateral, known, inherited, important, gene, essential, different, definite, death, condition, chromosome, cells, caused, cases