So,%20Doctor,%20what%20is%20LHON?

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So, Doctor, what is LHON?
LHON is a disease of the mitochondria.
mitochondria. Those are the things in cells that
supply energy. They're in the cytoplasm, yes?
That's right! Now what do you know about genes?
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Genes control a lot of your features like your
eye colour. You get them from your dads sperm
cell and your mums egg cell.
Well done! What normally happens when a sperm
fertilises an egg?
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The sperm nucleus gets into the egg. Then the
egg nucleus and sperm nucleus join together to
make your first complete cell.
Exactly! But whose mitochondria did you get?
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All your mitochondria come from your mum. You
only get a nucleus from your dad.
That's right! But mitochondria have a few genes
in them, and Maya's are faulty. That's why she
went blind.
So her children will go blind too?
Yes. And I am afraid there's no treatment. But
scientists are working on it. Let me explain.
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Right, Darcy. I'll let you get back to your
patients. You'll have to tell Maya and Jake that
there is no solution to their problem. There
might be a treatment in future, but will it be
too late?
n How 2-parent fertilisation usually happens
n The scientists' idea for 3-parent
fertilisation n Why and how 3-parent
fertilisation might help them in futureif they
can wait.
Plan what to say to Maya and Jake. Prepare
diagrams to help you explain
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Can I ask you something else? I'm thinking of
become a nurse or health care assistant. Can you
tell me about your work?
My job is not easy. I have to tell people
difficult things. I need to be emotionally strong
and physically fit. I have to stay calm in a
crisis. But I love my work. It's really
rewarding. And there's no chance to get bored!
So what skills do health care assistants and
nurses need?
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What about qualifications?
Health Care Assistants support other health
professionals in hospitals or homes. You do not
need academic qualifications, but experience in a
caring role is helpful (try doing volunteer work
with your local NHS Trust). Most health care
assistants work towards NVQ levels 2 or 3 in
'health' or 'health and social care'. With NVQ
Level 3 you could start a university-based
nursing diploma.
Here take a look at this leaflet.
Nurses with diplomas or degrees
n With 5 A-C grades at GCSE (including English)
at aged 17½ you could begin a 3 year diploma
course at university to train to be a nurse. You
get a bursary of about 100 per week and all your
fees are paid. n With A Levels, including at
least one in a relevant science, you could begin
a 4-year degree course.