Chromosome+17

=**__Chromosome 17__**=



**__Size__**__:__ 81 million base pairs
Excerpt "The environment of the tumour is literally selecting for mutations in such genes as the external environment selects rabbits. It is not mysterious that mutations eventually show up in so many cases. Mutation is random, but selection is not." **(Ridley, M., 1999)**


 * - "Genome" by Matt Ridley**

Gene One Neurofibromin 1
Nuerofibromin 1 is the encoder for the protein nuerofibromin that regulates the RAS Signal Transduction Pathway. These Signal Pathways are used to control cell adhesion and cell migration through the body.This plays a crucial role in the safety of the nervous system that guides cells. If the gene for the nuerobromin is defected then tumors begin to grow rapidly in the person's nervous system, as shown by the image below, and cause obvious physical abnormalities as well as learning disabilities.



Gene 2 Folliculin
Folliculin is a gene that is currently being studied. Scientists aren't completely sure what it does, but research shows it to prevents tumors. Folluculin is produced in the liver and it is found in almost all body tissues. Including the brain, skin, heart, lung, and kidney. There may be other uses for Folliculin such as regulating the cell's intake of foreign particles and it may help in the defining of the cell's shape, size, movement and interaction.

If there is a problem with the folliculin gene, researchers believe that cancer and tumors will uncontrollably make the cells split and reproduce. Defects within this gene may also cause the lung to collapse due to a chest cavity.

Disease Usher Syndrome
Usher syndrome is a disease that causes blindness and deafness. There are ten genes that could code for Usher Syndrome and it is not quite common. In the United States there are four out of one hundred million kids get Usher syndrome. Usher syndrome is a recessive gene that parents can pass down to their children. Both parents can have the disorder making it an autosomal trait. There are three different types of Usher syndrome. Usher Syndrome I is when the child is deaf at birth and has balance issues. They end up becoming deaf by the age of 10 and early signs of this are trouble seeing at night. Usher Syndrome II is much less severe than type I. This causes the child to benefit from hearing aids and the blindness occurs when the child becomes a teenager. Usher Syndrome III takes the least amount of time to activate. The child is born normal but developed hearing problems during puberty and is blind by adulthood.

Fun Facts
1. A blood cancer is caused by a translocation of genes on chromosome 15 and 17. 2. A rare type of skin cancer is caused by a translocation on chromosomes 17 and 22. 3. Smith-Mageis Syndrome is caused by a deletion of a critical piece on chromosome 17.

References:
1 - Chromosome 17 - Genetics Home Reference. (n.d.). //Genetics Home Reference - Your guide to understanding genetic conditions //. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/chromosome/17 2 - Chromosome 17 - Genes on chromosome 17 - Genetics Home Reference. (n.d.). //Genetics Home Reference - Your guide to understanding genetic conditions //. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/chromosome/17/s 3 - Neurofibromatosis Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). (n.d.). //National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) //. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/neuro 4 - FLCN - folliculin - Genetics Home Reference. (n.d.). //Genetics Home Reference - Your guide to understanding genetic conditions //. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/FLC 5 - Usher Syndrome. (n.d.). //National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders [NIDCD] //. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing