Tay-Sachs

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Tay-Sachs
By Brianna and Sydney
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What Is It?

• Tay-Sachs is a hereditary disease in young
  children that effect the brain and nerve tissue
• Tay-Sachs disease occurs when the body lacks
  hexosaminidase A, which is a protein that helps
  break down a chemical found in nerve tissue
  called gangliosides. Without this protein,
  gangliosides, build up in cells, especially nerve
  cells in the brain.
• Gangliosides are A fatty (lipid) substance found
  within the brain and nerve cells

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What is it (continued)..

• This causes mental retardation, convulsions,
  blindness, and death.
• Tay-Sachs is passed for parent to child and is
  most common in Jews

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Symptoms

• Tay-Sachs is usually shown by 6 months old
• Symptoms may progress over time and get worse
• Some symptoms are
• Chewing Swallowing become difficult
• Complete loss of motor skills
• Blindness
• Deafness

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Lifetime Limitations

• Live less than five years
• Juvenile Tay-Sachs have up to 15 years at most
• There is no cure for Tay-Sachs

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Chances

• The chances of a child inheriting it is one out
  of four if both parents are carriers but not
  effected (heterozygous), but three out of four
  are carriers

Key Blue No Tay-Sachs Red Tay-Sachs
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The End