How Do We Inherit Our Biological Characteristics

Introduction

Lucia and David want to have a child. Lucia is concerned, however, because she has a family history of cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes a constant thick mucous in the respiratory system. This condition sets up severe respiratory infections. Cystic fibrosis also causes trouble in digesting some foods because the pancreas fails to produce the proper enzymes. Lucia worries about passing the disease to her child, even though she herself does not have it. Lucia and David decide to consult a genetic counselor to understand the risk of having a child with cystic fibrosis.
Lucia's Siblings:
Bryant is a 23-year-old graduate student in microbiology. He has cystic fibrosis, although he didn't know this until he as 8 years old. Before that, doctors simply treated him for infection after infection--usually bronchitis or pneumonia. He was terrified of catching a cold, which could land him in the hospital. Bryant also had abdominal pains a few hours after eating, and as a result, he was always severly underweight. Doctors noted a "sensitive stomach" in his chart, lectured his mother on providing proper nutrition, and attributed Bryant's pains to a nervous disposition.
A brother 2 years younger than Bryant named Will was very healthy; but when a sister Katie was born when Bryant was 8, a pattern appeared. Katie, like Bryant, battled very frequent respiratory infections. When as a baby she would scream after eating, doctors at first diagnosed colic and advised switching infant formulas. Nothing helped. When, at two years of age, Katie weighted only 20 pounds, her pediatrician began to put together the symptoms with those of her elder brother. Bryant and Katie were the only family members with the disorder.

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Your assignment for the next three weeks will be to investigate this disease and prepare a "story book" about the disease. The genetics counseling community ascribes to a belief in non-directive counseling. That is, they feel that it is their duty to provide all of the information that is available and desired by a family so that they can make the decisions that are appropriate to them based on their own cultural, moral, religious, etc. beliefs. Your investigation should include medical information important for people with this disease so that they can live a healthy and prolonged life. This might include:

• a pedigree for the family described
• family members who appear to possibly have the disease
• a prediction of the chances of their offspring having this disease
• the ethical and social issues involved in this particular case for the child and the parents

Each image must have a caption. The presentation will be given using ClarisWorks® or Microsoft PowerPoint® presentation software. It should be written such that someone else could view the presentation and understand the key points without an accompanying verbal explanation.