There are thousands of diseases in the world. Some diseases can be cured others cant be. Some of these diseases however, deal with genetics. Genetic disease is defined as a disease caused by an abnormality in an individual's genome ("Genetic Disease"). One genetic disease that affects many people is Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Roughly 20,000 people each year are diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia or AML ("How Many People”). One casualty of these disease is my grandma who passed away of AML in 2001. AML is a perfect example of how an abnormality in the DNA can have catastrophic results. Acute Myeloid Leukemia is a form of cancer in which bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts, red blood cells, and platelets. Myeloblasts are a type of white
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To better understand leukemia we need to look at the genetic aspect of it. And error in the genetic code is one cause of AML. Translocations are the most common type of DNA change that can lead to leukemia. A translocation is when part of one chromosome breaks off and becomes attached to a different chromosome (“Do we know”). These translocations and mutations have been found in many people with AML. The most common affected genes are NPM1, FLT3, DNMT3A, CEBPA, IDH1, and IDH2 ("Cytogenetically”). Most of these genes deal with regulating the cells in growth, division, maturation, and survival. FLT3 produces a protein that deals with survival of cells. CEBPA and DNMT3A produce a protein that controls when the cells divide and maturation. The NPM1 gene produces a protein that’s involved in the regulation of cell growth and division. Mutation in the IDH1 and IDH2 genes produces a protein that mutates hematopoietic stem cells which leads to AML (“Cytogenetically”). These gene mutations also coincide with one another, often mutations found in the NPM1 gene also have a mutation in the FLT3 gene both lead to the development of cancer “Cytogenetically”). What exactly do these genes do? CEBPA gene makes a protein called CCAAT. This protein is a transcription it helps mature blood cells ("CEBPA Gene"). DNMT3A gene make an enzyme called (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3 alpha. This enzyme helps with the addition of methyl groups to nucleotides ("DNMT3A Gene"). FLT3 is called fms-related tyrosine kinase 3. FLT3 is a protein found in the
To better understand leukemia we need to look at the genetic aspect of it. And error in the genetic code is one cause of AML. Translocations are the most common type of DNA change that can lead to leukemia. A translocation is when part of one chromosome breaks off and becomes attached to a different chromosome (“Do we know”). These translocations and mutations have been found in many people with AML. The most common affected genes are NPM1, FLT3, DNMT3A, CEBPA, IDH1, and IDH2 ("Cytogenetically”). Most of these genes deal with regulating the cells in growth, division, maturation, and survival. FLT3 produces a protein that deals with survival of cells. CEBPA and DNMT3A produce a protein that controls when the cells divide and maturation. The NPM1 gene produces a protein that’s involved in the regulation of cell growth and division. Mutation in the IDH1 and IDH2 genes produces a protein that mutates hematopoietic stem cells which leads to AML (“Cytogenetically”). These gene mutations also coincide with one another, often mutations found in the NPM1 gene also have a mutation in the FLT3 gene both lead to the development of cancer “Cytogenetically”). What exactly do these genes do? CEBPA gene makes a protein called CCAAT. This protein is a transcription it helps mature blood cells ("CEBPA Gene"). DNMT3A gene make an enzyme called (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3 alpha. This enzyme helps with the addition of methyl groups to nucleotides ("DNMT3A Gene"). FLT3 is called fms-related tyrosine kinase 3. FLT3 is a protein found in the