6.1.7 - Inherited disorders

Question 1

What causes inherited disorders

Answer 1

inheritance of certain alleles

Question 2

What is polydactyly?

Answer 2

Having extra fingers or toes.

Question 3

Is polydactyly caused by a recessive or dominant allele?

Answer 3

dominant

Question 4

What is cystic fibrosis?

Answer 4

A disorder of cell membranes.

Question 5

Is cystic fibrosis caused by a recessive or dominant allele?

Answer 5

Recessive

Question 6

What is embryo screening?

Answer 6

Taking cells from an embryo and analysing its genes to see whether the baby will have a genetic disorder.

Question 7

What could happen to embryos produced by IVF that have undesirable alleles?

Answer 7

They would be destroyed

Question 8

What could happen to embryos in the womb that have undesirable alleles?

Answer 8

Parents could decide to terminate the pregnancy.

Question 9

3 arguments for embryonic screening

Answer 9

1. It will reduce suffering
2. Treating disorders costs the government (and tax payers) lots of money.
3. There are laws to stop it going to far - at the moment parents cannot even select the sex of their baby

Question 10

3 arguments against embryonic screening

Answer 10

1. It implies that people with genetic disorders are ‘undesirable’, which could increase prejudice.
2. There may come a point where everyone wants to screen their embryos so they can pick the most ‘desirable’ one.
3. Screening is expensive