What are the causes of hereditary diseases?

Hereditary diseases are caused by mutations in genes, which are the functional units of DNA. Mutations can occur spontaneously or can be inherited from parents.

Inherited mutations: Inherited mutations are passed down from parents to their offspring through the sex cells (gametes). These mutations can be dominant or recessive. Dominant mutations require only one copy of the mutated gene to cause the disease, while recessive mutations require two copies of the mutated gene to cause the disease.

Examples of inherited hereditary diseases:

- Autosomal dominant: Huntington's disease, Marfan syndrome

- Autosomal recessive: Cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia

- X-linked: Hemophilia, red-green color blindness

Spontaneous mutations: Spontaneous mutations are not inherited from parents. They occur during cell division or due to environmental factors such as radiation, chemicals, or viruses. These mutations can affect any gene in the body and can lead to hereditary diseases.

Examples of spontaneous mutations:

- Neurofibromatosis

- Retinoblastoma

- Waardenburg syndrome