Cystic Fibrosis

Intrudction
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited autosomal recessive disease that exerts its main effects on the respiratory and digestive system. This disease is the most common genetic disorder amongst Caucasians. Cystic fibrosis affects about 1 in 2,500 people, where about 1 out of 201 is Caucasian; with 1 in 25 five being a heterozygote. With the use of antibiotics, the life span of a person afflicted with CF can be extended up to 30 years however, most die before the age of 13 (About Cystic Fibrosis). Since this disease affects so many people, it is no wonder that CF was one of the first human genetic diseases to be cloned by geneticists. In this paper, I will be focusing on how the cystic fibrosis gene was discovered while, discussing the protein defect in the CF gene, the biochemical defect associated with CF, and possible treatments for the disease.
Finding the Cystic Fibrosis Gene
The regular genetic approach to finding the gene responsible for causing a genetic disease ...