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PKU, phenolketonuria, is a genetic disease caused by a recessive gene. So, a person with one normal and one faulty gene for this characteristic will not have the disease, you have to have two faulty genes to have the disease. If two people who each have one gene for PKU have a child, that child can inherit the gene from each parent and therefore will have two copies, causing the recessive trait to manifest.

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Q: Why is it that two normal parents could have a child with pku?
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Why is PKU not tested in Finland?

Because of it's rarity. In the world 1 out of 25 000 is affected by PKU. In the States, 1 out of 15 000 is affected, Turkey 1 out of 2 300. In Finland, however, only one out of 100 000 has PKU. When the chances for the child are 0,00001% to have PKU, it's not routinely tested on all infants. 20 out of 34 hospitals test for PKU, but most only if both parents are foreign and only three hospital test if one of the parent is foreign. None of them test PKU on every child.


How would a child inherit PKU?

PKU is a genetic disease, caused by an inability to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine.


If both heterozygous parents are carriers of a recessive allele for phenylketonuria the probability that a given child of these parents will have PKU is?

Pp x Pp yields PP, Pp, Pp, pp. PP is the only genotype which will cause the phenotypic expression of the gene - symptoms of PKU. Therefore the probability is 1/4 or 25%


A person who has PKU?

inherited the allele for the trait from both parents


How does studying genetic disorders such as pku help biologist understand normal alleles?

PKU is a genetic disorder that, when untreated, is characterized by mental ... but, in a person with PKU, this enzyme is defective.


How is phenylketonuria inherited?

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is inherited when both parents are carriers of the gene. Since it is a recessive gene, there is a 25% chance that any baby conceived by two people carrying the PKU gene will have PKU.


How many people have pku?

I have PKU, and I find this question irresponsible. Instead of asking the question, "Do people die of PKU?" you apparently assume it is a fact that people can and do die of this disease without providing any evidence whatsoever. When parents first discover that their child has PKU many of them go to the web to get more information. It is bad enough that the first thing many of them read is "can lead to severe mental retardation" without realizing there are successful treatment options. But this question is even more irresponsible. I would highly recommend you revise it or clarify it, because it is dangerous and destructive.


Are males and females both susceptible to PKU?

Yes, both males and females are susceptible to phenylketonuria (PKU). PKU is an inherited disorder that affects the ability of the body to break down an amino acid called phenylalanine. It is caused by a defective gene that can be passed down from either parent to their child, regardless of the child's sex.


What is the survival rate for PKU?

100%


Is it true that if neither parent possesses a functional allele a child will always have PKU?

True you need at least one functional allele


When was the first case of pku reported?

First case of PKU was reported in Munster Germany in 1964.


How does PKU impact protein synthesis?

PKU is a somatic genetic defect in an enzyme that metabolizes phenylalanine.