There are more than 30 different genetic diseases that are classified as muscular dystrophies. Muscular dystrophy is the weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that often control movement. In muscular dystrophy, abnormal genes, also called mutations, interfere with the production of the proteins that are needed to form healthy muscle in the body. There are many kinds of muscular dystrophies and symptoms are more than likely begin during childhood. With different kinds of muscular dystrophy, comes many different symptoms and the disease is different for everyone that has it. Symptoms of muscle dystrophy vary with the different types of the disease. The symptoms of each type appear at different ages and can also be in different
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Not until the 1980s, little to nothing was known about the causes of muscular dystrophy. Around 1986 was when researchers identified a gene on the X chromosome that if mutated, it would cause both Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. Genes in a body contain codes for proteins which are very important in life. In the year of 1987, the proteins that is associated with the gene that causes muscular dystrophies, was identified and also named dystrophin. Muscular dystrophy occurs because the gene that is mutated doesn’t produce any functional dystrophin. Patients with Becker muscular dystrophy have genes that partially function that make dystrophin. This protects the patient’s muscles from degenerating as quickly as Duchenne muscular …show more content…
When a signal is sent from the brain through the spinal cord and peripheral nerves to the neurotransmitter junction, the muscle is activated. When that happens, it releases chemical acetylcholine and triggers a series of events that cause muscles to contract. The muscle fiber membrane contains a group of proteins that are called dystrophinglycoprotein complex. This prevents damage when muscle fibers contract and relax. Muscular dystrophy can affect many body tissues and organs but mostly affects the integrity of muscle fibers. Muscle fiber material is broken down and destroyed by scavenger cells in muscular dystrophy. Overall, muscle strength and muscle and tendon reflexes are usually lessened or lost due to replacement of muscle tissue and
Not until the 1980s, little to nothing was known about the causes of muscular dystrophy. Around 1986 was when researchers identified a gene on the X chromosome that if mutated, it would cause both Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. Genes in a body contain codes for proteins which are very important in life. In the year of 1987, the proteins that is associated with the gene that causes muscular dystrophies, was identified and also named dystrophin. Muscular dystrophy occurs because the gene that is mutated doesn’t produce any functional dystrophin. Patients with Becker muscular dystrophy have genes that partially function that make dystrophin. This protects the patient’s muscles from degenerating as quickly as Duchenne muscular …show more content…
When a signal is sent from the brain through the spinal cord and peripheral nerves to the neurotransmitter junction, the muscle is activated. When that happens, it releases chemical acetylcholine and triggers a series of events that cause muscles to contract. The muscle fiber membrane contains a group of proteins that are called dystrophinglycoprotein complex. This prevents damage when muscle fibers contract and relax. Muscular dystrophy can affect many body tissues and organs but mostly affects the integrity of muscle fibers. Muscle fiber material is broken down and destroyed by scavenger cells in muscular dystrophy. Overall, muscle strength and muscle and tendon reflexes are usually lessened or lost due to replacement of muscle tissue and