Chromosome+6

Chromosome #6


 * Size: ** 171 Million Base pairs.

** Excerpt: " ** Time to stop beating about the bush. Time to plunge headlong into the most tangled briar of the lot, the roughest, scratchiest, most impenetrable and least easy of all the bramples in the genetic forest: the inheritance of intelligence.  Chromosome 6 is the best place to find such a thicket. It was on chromosome 6, towards the end of 1997, that a brave or perhaps foolhardy scientist first announced to the world that he had found a gene 'for intelligence'."

Although it seems almost impossible for a gene of intelligence to be present in our chromosomes, there just may be a chance that this is possible in chromosome 6 as it is explored by few scientists.

**Gene #1:**TBP (TATA box binding protein) TBP gene gives the instructions to create a protein called the TATA box binding protein. The name is given by its particular DNA sequence which is TATA. The TATA box binding protein is essential for transcription because it tells other enzymes when to start reading the gene to transfer the information onto mRNA. This protein is found throughout cells and tissues all over the human body. This gene is located at position 27 and is 18,537 base pairs long.

Without this protein, the production of proteins would be inevitable making cell functions nearly impossible. Many mutations can also occur including, Huntington disease-like syndrome. This brain disorder can cause uncontrolled movements, emotional problems, and loss of thinking ability.

** Gene #2 : ** COL11A2 (Collagen, type XI, alpha 2) The COL11A2 gene makes type XI collagen which gives structure to many tissues. Along with that, it strengthens tissues directly corresponding to bodily muscles, joints, organs, and the skin. Type XI collagen is also the gel that fills the inside of an eyeball, an ear, and the discs between the vertebrae in the spine. It also helps maintain proportioning space for type II collagen fibrils which is a necessity in the eye and for maturing cartilage tissue.

If our bodies lacked this gene, our tissues would be very weak and be prone to injury. Additionally, our eyes and ears would be severely damaged due to the improper spacing of type II collagen fibrils and because the gel would be missing. With this gene there are many mutations which can lead to hearing loss, improper bone growth, fragmented facial features, osteoarthritis, stickler syndrome, and many more which will be further explored. **Disorder :**Stickler Syndrome

Mutations within COL11A2 and COL9AI (in chromosome 6) specifically, cause Stickler Syndrome as mentioned previously. This syndrome does not affect one area of the body. In fact it affects many parts. Some of the symptoms of this include distinctive facial appearance, eye abnormalities, hearing loss, and joint irregularities. Stickler Syndrome can be diagnosed by looking at a patient's medical history and through a thorough examination by a physician, or by measuring abnormalities in the eyes, ears, bones, joins, and face. People can be diagnosed with stickler syndrome when they are born or during their lifetime since stickler syndrome is a mutation that depends on inheritance.

The Stickler Syndrome is extremely severe due to the extent of its symptoms. This syndrome can lead to complete hearing loss as well as an altered appearance with distinctive facial features. It can also cause joint problems making movement and everyday activities difficult. For newborns, the odds of getting Stickler Syndrome is 1 in approximately 7,500-9,000.

** Interesting Fact!!! ** Did you know mutations in chromosome 6 can lead to Parkinson's Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, Epilepsy, and Hemochromatosis?