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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disorder - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 5 - 2012 - Paper 1
Question 5
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disorder. The recessive allele is shown as f and the dominant allele as F. (a) (i) What is the genotype of a person wit... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disorder - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 5 - 2012 - Paper 1
Step 1
What is the genotype of a person with cystic fibrosis?
Answer
The genotype of a person with cystic fibrosis must be homozygous recessive, which is represented as 'ff'. This is because cystic fibrosis is caused by two copies of the recessive allele, and individuals with at least one dominant allele (F) would not exhibit the disease.
Step 2
Explain why a person with cystic fibrosis (CF) may lose body mass.
Answer
A person with cystic fibrosis may lose body mass due to malabsorption of nutrients. The condition affects the pancreas, impairing its ability to produce enzymes necessary for digestion. As a result, essential nutrients from food are not adequately absorbed, leading to weight loss and decreased body mass.