What are autosomal dominant genes?
Most of the features, both physical and behavioral, are transmitted from parents to offspring, although some changes may occur as a result of mutation or error in the genetic code. Genes found in the cells of all organisms carry the information necessary to express all properties. During sexual reproduction, offspring inherits one gene for each character from one parent and the other from the other parent. Autosomal dominant genes are one of the ways inherited by genes. The term autosomal dominant genes are often used to describe the way of inheritance of certain diseases and disorders. Different alleles for each gene code for different types of the same characteristics. For example, the eye color is determined by the same gene, but the differences in color are caused by different alleles of this gene.
Not all gene alleles are expressed as well. Often, when the cell has different alleles for the same gene, one allele takes precedence over the other. The characteristic that is expressed is dominant to the one that is not. By continuing the exampleSimplified eye color is the color of the brown eye dominant to the blue eye color. If a person has one allele for brown eyes and one allele for blue eyes, one will have brown eyes.
All genes exist on long DNA strands called chromosomes. Organisms that reproduce sexually have two types of chromosomes, autosomes and sex chromosomes. Sexual chromosomes are two chromosomes that determine the gender of the body, while autosomes are all other chromosomes. Autosomal dominant genes are the inheritance of characteristics found on autosomes, not on sex chromosomes.
diseases and disorders may be caused by mutation or error in the gene that passes through families. Autosomal dominant insertion of the disease or disorder means that the abnormal gene is placed on one of the autosomes and the allele is dominant to an unmistant form. Only one copy of an abnormal gene is required in these casesto make the disease or disorder expressed in the offspring.
If the parent has a mutation in the dominant allele of the gene, there is a 50% chance that the offspring will also have an abnormal gene. Because the mutation is placed on one of the autosomes, the sex of the offspring does not affect the result of the disease or disorder. A common example of a disorder caused by autosomal dominant genes is Huntington's chorea or Huntington's disease.