Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne Musculary Dystrophy is a disease of children, almost always of boys. To the affected child, physical activity presents problems from infancy. Progressive weakness develops as the muscles of the body are replaced by fibrous tissue. A child becomes restricted to a wheelchair (generally by the age of 10), and as muscular wasting continues, breathing itself is threatened. a person with this disease, at present, rarely survives beyond the age of 20.

This disease is due to an X linked recessive gene. Its transmission is the same as red-green colour blindness and haemophilia. It is believed that the allele codes for an enzyme that induces the replacement of muscle by fibre. DMD affects 1 in every 4000 male infants, in about one-third of these as a consequence of a spontaneous mutation in the gene.

Reference :
(1)(book)Understand Biology for Advanced Level, 4th Edition, Glenn and Susan Toole, Stanley Thornes Press, p.124 - 125
(2)(book)Advanced Biology, principles and applications, international student edition, by C.J. Clegg with D.G. Mackkean, John Murray, pp. 629
(3)(web)Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
(4)(web)Kids Health
(5)(web)Medicine Plus
(6)(web)Myoclinic
(7)(web)Wikipedia
(8)(web)MedicineNet


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(03.08.2008)