Part One: Genetic Mutation Progeria Story

Gregory would have been a completely normal 13 year old boy, if it weren’t for an abnormal Lamin A protein, that created me. I am progeria, and my host’s name is Gregory. I am a genetic mutation, created because the Lamin A protein is abnormal in Gregory’s body. The abnormal Lamin A protein creates an unstable nucleus. Because of me, Gregory has major hair loss or alopecia. This is only one of the symptoms other Progeria’s and I cause our hosts. Other symptoms I cause Gregory are aged looking skin, abnormal joints, and fat loss beneath the skin. Everyone in Gregory’s school is nice to him because they know he can’t do anything about his symptoms. Anywhere new we go Gregory receives stares and whispers from people he’d never met before. At movie theatres and restaurants, people ask if he would like a a seniors discount. Even though Gregory has only lived on this earth for 13 years, he knows that most victims died of progeria rarely live past 13 years old. If it weren’t for me Gregory would be a healthy young boy, but now, he will only get to experience life for less than 2/8 of the time of a average human. Luckily, other cells like me only occur in approximately 1 in 18 million people, so it is very rare. The saddest part of Gregory’s life is he knows there is no cure, and I will always be there, making him different than all the other kids around him.

On the left side of this photo is my friend Jeremy. He is a normal cell in Gregory’s body. On the right is me, a single progeria cell.

Part 2: Questions

What questions did you need to research in order to create your mutation story?

– What is progeria?
– What are the symptoms of progeria?
– What causes progeria?
– Pictures of a progeria cell
– How rare is progeria?
– What is the progeria life expectancy?

What new or familiar digital tool did you try to use as you worked through this project?

– Use as little words as possible when typing questions in Google
– Try and find the same information on 2 different websites before you use it in your project
– Only going on well known websites where not just anyone can edit or answer
– Stay away from and yahoo answers

What was the process you used to investigate the topic?

– Ask
– Acquire
– Analyze
– Apply
– Asses

How did you verify the site and information you found?

– I made sure I found the same information on 2 different credible websites before I used it in my presentation
– I tried to look at government websites or university studies so then I know the information was no made up
– I didn’t use any websites where anyone can edit the information

How did the process of completing this challenge go? What could you have done better?

– This project went well because there was lots of studies and information on progeria that was easily accessible
– If I was to do this project over again, I wouldn’t; have procrastinated working on it, and finished it on the day it was assigned
– When this project was assigned, I had a test and project due on the same week, so it was hard for me to find time to work on it because I also play sports. It was more challenging for me because I am busy

Citations:

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/hutchinson-gilford-progeria-syndrome

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146746.php

https://www.genome.gov/11007255

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/progeria/basics/definition/con-20029424

By Trevor Thirsk