Why?+How+do+you+get+Tay-Sachs?

How do you get Tay-Sachs?
Why?- The gene HEX A is defective and a child will not produce normal levels of enzymes (the proteins) Hexosaminidase A (HEX A)

How?- One can only get it by inheritance. Tay-Sachs disease is most common in French Canadians and Ashkenazi Jews.

Causes: - Lack of making the enzyme, protein, Hex A on chromosome 15, which leads to fat buildup in some nerve and brain cells. - It slowly destroys affected cell, which turns out to one losing mental and physical abilities. - Death occurs at around age 5

If you want to know if you or your spouse go to a doctor, they will ask you about family history and perform a blood test which measures the amount of beta HEX A you have in your body.

By: Niki