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DMD: The Benefits Of The Faulty Gene

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DMD is a disease where the muscles have no dystrophin, one of the proteins responsible for strengthening muscle fibers. As a result, each sarcomere is deformed, the entire muscle is weakened: it can't support the body, it can't move properly, and it is prone to damage. ii) The faulty DMD gene is located on the X chromosome. So, if a female (XX) has the faulty gene, the other X chromosome will take over the production of dystrophin and the female will usually exhibit little or no symptoms but may pass the gene on to her offspring. If a male (XY) inherits the faulty gene (from his mother), he will exhibit the disease, because there is no secondary X chromosome to take charge of the function. iii) Initially there will be only marginal effects

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