Disease Genetics and Environment Phenylketonuria PKU GENETIC disorder

Disease Genetics and Environment

Phenylketonuria (PKU) • GENETIC disorder • Can’t break down the amino acid phenylalanine • Because you don’t make the enzyme phenylalanine hydrolxylase

SIDE NOTE • What type of molecules are enzymes? PROTEINS • What is the job of enzymes? TO SPEED UP REACTIONS

SIDE NOTE • What does a change in temperature do to enzymes DENATURES THEM • What does a change in p. H do to enzymes? DENATURES THEM

SIDE NOTE • What is it called when an organism can keep the same p. H even when acid or base is added? BUFFER

Phenylketonuria (PKU) • GENETIC disorder • Can’t break down the amino acid phenylalanine • Because you don’t make the enzyme phenylalanine hydrolxylase

Phenylketonuria (PKU) • Symptoms can be avoided with a special diet • Avoid high protein foods, such as: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk, dried beans, and peas • Eat measured amounts of cereals, starches, fruits, and vegetables, along with a milk substitute

What types of environmental factors would increase your chance of developing LUNG or MOUTH CANCER? Smoking and Tobacco Use

Too much sun exposure causes… • Skin cancer • What is cancer? • A mutation or “typo” in replicating our DNA • Folic acid spell checks DNA and thus, prevents cancer • The sun destroys folic acid • So you get more typos in the DNA = more cancer when exposed to too much sun

But too little sun is bad too • The sun helps our skin make vitamin D which is essential for good health.