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question number 3

+ 83 of 237 → Applied Questions 1. Maria and Anthony enjoy hiking and mountain climbing. They want to know whether their 2-year-old son, Spencer, will excel at these activities, too. They send a sample of Spencer's cheek cells to a company that offers genetic tests for athletic ability and request a test on the ACE gene, which produces angiotensin 1-converting enzyme. Marla and Anthony had read a study about 40 elite British mountaineers, many of whom had a genotype that is rare among the general, non-mountain-climbing population. Look up what the gene does, and suggest how variants of it might affect athletic ability 2. "Heritability is often used in the media to refer to the degree to which a trait is inherited. How is this definition different from the scientific one? Page 140 3. Would you take a drug that was prescribed to you based on your race? Cite a reason for your answer. 4. The incidence of obesity in the United States has doubled over the past two decades. Is this due more to genetic or environmental factors? Cite a reason for your answer. 2020 MEGH A IR Reserved Privacy and Cookies e Terms of Use Min

Answer 1

1. Angiotensin-converting enzyme or ACE gene, help angiotensin-converting enzyme which cleaves proteins and controls blood pressure and the equilibrium of body fluids and salts. This gene breaks angiotensin1 and converts to angiotensin II. This causes increased blood flow. It also stimulates production of aldosterone a hormone that triggers the absorption of salt and water by kidneys. This gene makes an enzyme that effects how capably that muscles burns oxygen and the rate at which few muscles develop. There is a gene named alpha-actinin-3 that produces actinin. They help in development of fast muscle fiber which help in speed and power. Alternately X allele do not produce such protein. Mutations or polymorphisms in these allele causes athletes either to slower down their performance.

2. Heritability in general is defined as a degree of how differences in one’s genes account for modifications in traits which comprises features like height, eye color, and intelligence. Whereas heritability in terms of scientific definition, it is a statistical concept that is represented as h² defines how much of the variation or dissimilarity in a given trait can be endorsed to genetic discrepancies. The heritability estimates range from zero to one. Zero indicates variability in a trait is because of environmental factors, whereas one indicates variability is due to genetic factors such as mutations.

3. Pharmacogenetic research in the past few years has exposed important changes among racial groups in their metabolism, clinical efficiency, and side effects of many clinically important drug molecules. It is also reported that approximately 20% of the new drugs that are being approved have racial differences in character and working ability. This is due to changes in genes and mutations that are occurring according to the environmental changes. For example, development of ACE inhibitors against African Americans. Data showed that activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is less active compared to other races population. Similarly, carbamazepine labeling used as anticonvulsant and as analgesic endorses testing for the presence of HLA-B*15:02 in patients of Asian population before its usage. This variant is common in many Asian populations, but observed in less than 1% of Koreans and Japanese population. So race also plays an important role in drug prescription.

4. The widespread of obesity presents a major challenge to chronic disease stoppage and health across the world especially us United States. It has doubled and the reason is not only genetic factors that happens but also environmental changes that are occurring. Majority of risk factors include Low physical activity, stress, intake of steroids, eating habitats and many more. Moroever, parental diet, lifestyle, and other acquaintances have been concerned in offspring obesity risk such as parental obesity which is genetics. According to thrifty genotype theory, the genes that assisted our ancestor’s survival are now confronted by various environmental factors in which food is abundantly intaked. This also leads to obesity.