Autosomal disorders are caused by a fault in which genetic material?

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Multiple Choice

Autosomal disorders are caused by a fault in which genetic material?

Autosomal disorders come from faults in the autosomes, the non-sex chromosomes. In humans, these are the chromosomes that carry most of the genes, and there are 22 autosome pairs in each cell. A mutation on any of these autosomes can lead to an autosomal genetic disorder, and the inheritance pattern depends on whether the specific gene is autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive. This contrasts with mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from the mother and causes mitochondrial disorders; Y chromosome abnormalities are sex-linked and affect traits carried on the Y chromosome, not autosomes; and X chromosome inactivation is a normal mechanism for balancing gene expression between sexes, not a fault in an autosome.

Autosomal disorders come from faults in the autosomes, the non-sex chromosomes. In humans, these are the chromosomes that carry most of the genes, and there are 22 autosome pairs in each cell. A mutation on any of these autosomes can lead to an autosomal genetic disorder, and the inheritance pattern depends on whether the specific gene is autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive.

This contrasts with mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from the mother and causes mitochondrial disorders; Y chromosome abnormalities are sex-linked and affect traits carried on the Y chromosome, not autosomes; and X chromosome inactivation is a normal mechanism for balancing gene expression between sexes, not a fault in an autosome.

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