Part 1: Mutation Story
Hello! I am a gene inside my host Noah’s body. He has Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. He got it from his mom, as unfortunately she was a carrier of the disease and it is hereditary. However, she doesn’t have the condition because it affects boys almost exclusively. More specifically, he has muscular dystrophy because there was a dystrophin gene mutation on the X chromosome (me). The symptoms of this ailment are somewhat extensive. Noah’s muscles have weakened greatly over time, leading to poor mobility. Consequently, he is in a wheelchair. He also has heart problems. He has cardiomyopathy- a type of heart disease that makes the cardiac muscles weak. This prevents them from pumping blood efficiently. In addition, he deals with chronic fatigue and respiratory issues. Sadly, Noah is not likely to live past his early twenties. There is no cure for this disease.
Part 2: The Making of Mutation Story
1) What questions did you need to research in order to create your mutation story?
I researched the questions “Which gene creates muscular dystrophy?”, “What happens to a gene to create muscular dystrophy?”, and “What is the lifespan of a person with muscular dystrophy”. After those search’s I didn’t need to do any more Google searches because I’d found enough good websites to answer my other questions.
2) What new or familiar digital tools did you try to use as you worked through this project?
I used Google and my Edublog, which I am already very familiar with. I also re-learned how to cite my sources using “Easybib”.
3) What was the process you used to investigate the topic?
First, I learned about the effects of this disease on the body. Then I learned about the gene that causes it and the reason for the mutation.
4) How did you verify and cite the information you found?
I cited my information using the site “Easybib”. I knew my facts were true when I saw them on several different pages.
5) How did the process of completing this challenge go? What could you have done better?
This assignment went well. It was not overwhelming or anything like that. My only struggle was deciding which form of muscular dystrophy to focus on, as there are many.
Bibliography:
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/duchenne-and-becker-muscular-dystrophy
“Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy – Genetics Home Reference.” U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
http://www.muscle.ca/about-muscular-dystrophy/
@MD_Canada. “About Muscular Dystrophy.” Muscular Dystrophy Canada. n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
http://ic.steadyhealth.com/muscular-dystrophy-life-expectancy
“Muscular Dystrophy Life Expectancy.” SteadyHealth.com. 30 May 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
https://www.mda.org/disease/duchenne-muscular-dystrophy/causes-inheritance
“Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – Causes/Inheritance | Muscular Dystrophy Association.”. N.p., 07 Jan. 2016. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
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