Disabilities can be passed on through your DNA from parent to child. But this also depends on the disability and how it came about. If the parent had the genes causing the disability in the DNA in their sperm or eggs, there is a chance it can be passed on to their children. If the parent acquired the disability later in life, for example as an adult they went blind, they will not pass this on to their children.
However, it is a little more complicate than this For example with autism, we know there is a genetic component but we don’t know all the genes involved and we don’t know how much influence the environment and diet has on the condition. Another example is muscular dystrophy, which causes muscle weakness and the child is wheel chair bound, it usually only effects boys. This is because the gene which causes it is on the x-chromosome. Because girls have 2 x-chromosomes they had a backup if they get a bad copy. Boys only have one x-chromosome so if they get a bad copy they will develop the disability (this is the same for all diseases caused by genes on the x-chromosome).
Hi littlebirds. Thanks for your question.
Disabilities can be passed on through your DNA from parent to child. But this also depends on the disability and how it came about. If the parent had the genes causing the disability in the DNA in their sperm or eggs, there is a chance it can be passed on to their children. If the parent acquired the disability later in life, for example as an adult they went blind, they will not pass this on to their children.
However, it is a little more complicate than this For example with autism, we know there is a genetic component but we don’t know all the genes involved and we don’t know how much influence the environment and diet has on the condition. Another example is muscular dystrophy, which causes muscle weakness and the child is wheel chair bound, it usually only effects boys. This is because the gene which causes it is on the x-chromosome. Because girls have 2 x-chromosomes they had a backup if they get a bad copy. Boys only have one x-chromosome so if they get a bad copy they will develop the disability (this is the same for all diseases caused by genes on the x-chromosome).
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