Cystic Fibrosis Essay examples -- essays research papers

Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes the body’s lungs to generate a different type of mucus than a non-infected body would. The contaminated lungs will produce mucus that is thick and adhesive which clogs the lungs and leads to an unpleasant and abhorrent lung infection. CF also interferes with the pancreas, disallowing the digestive enzymes from breaking down and absorbing food in the intestine. This can result in low nutrition, feeble growth, excessive sweat production, difficulties in breathing, and sometimes lung disease. When producing extra sweat and mucus, the body loses salt. If too much salt is lost, it can cause abnormal heart rhythms, disturbance of minerals in the blood, and perhaps, shock. Children, as well as Adults can also be affected by this disease. Some afflicted infants usually show symptoms of the disease in its early life stages. Yet, others may experience the horrid and hazardous conditions later in life. The types of infections range differe ntly between each person. There are more than a thousand mutations of the CF gene.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considering that Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder, it can only be inherited by an individuals DNA. The only possible way to transmit the mutation to the offspring is if both parents are either carriers or already infected by the disease. Once two carriers produce an offspring, there is a twenty-five percent chance that their child will have Cystic Fibrosis; a fifty perce...