Axon
- the central part of a nerve, which carries the messages (electrical impulses) from and to the brain
Chromosomes
- these carry our genetic information (DNA) and are inherited from our parents
DNA
- Deoxyribonucleic Acid that exists within our chromosomes and determines everything about how we look and how our bodies work
De novo mutation
- spontaneous mutation of a gene, that is not inherited and seemingly occurs out of the blue
Dejerine-Sottas syndrome
- a type of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease that occurs between the ages of 10 and 30 years old, causing weakness of the legs, lack of sensitivity to heat, and eventually problems with walking
Dominant
- a pattern of inheritance that means only one parent has to pass on a faulty gene to their child for the particular genetic disorder to develop
Faulty gene
- a mutation or mistake within a person’s genes, which may be inherited from a parent or occur spontaneously
Foot drop
- muscle weakness that affects a person’s ability to lift their foot near the toes, which may result in them having to drag the foot along the floor when walking
Genes
- genes are sections of DNA that contain instructions for how the body should build proteins, and which therefore determine lots of characteristics such as what we look like physically and how our muscles work
Inheritance pattern
- genes, and therefore genetic disorders, are often inherited in one of five ways or patterns, which determine how likely a child is to inherit the genes from their parent/s
Motor skills
- actions and movements that we learn as babies, which involve the brain and muscles working together to achieve an outcome, such as walking or running
Musculoskeletal pain
- this is a type of pain caused by injury to body tissue such as muscles, tendons or ligaments, as well as bones and joints
Myelin sheath
- a substance that protects the axons in nerve cells to ensure the messages (electrical impulses) that travel through the nerves are protected
Neuropathic pain
- this is a type of pain caused by damage or injury to the nervous system, which may feel like a burning or stabbing sensation
Peripheral nervous system
- nerves in the body, that are outside the brain/spinal cord (the ‘central nervous system’) which tells your limbs and muscles to work, and enable you to feel sensations such as hot, cold, etc
Recessive
- a pattern of inheritance that means a genetic disorder may develop if both parents have the faulty gene and pass these on to their child
Scoliosis
- a condition where the spine curves to the side, which is usually noticeable around teenage years and may or may not need to be treated
X-linked
- a pattern of inheritance where a gene (or faulty gene) is passed on via the X chromosome, which means it is passed on from mother to son and therefore is more likely to affect males rather than females