What is a CF mutation?
Genes are strung together on Chromosomes, rodlike structures found in the nucleus of each cell. Human beings have 46 chromosomes, arranged in 23 pairs. In each pair, one chromosome is contributed by the mother, the other by the father. The gene involved in CF is found on chromosome 7. Each person has two copies of the gene, one on each chromosome. Because this gene is recessive, a person must inherit two genes containing a mutation – one from the mother, one from the father – to experience the symptoms of CF. If only one gene has a mutation, the person will be a carrier, who can pass the gene on but will not have symptoms of the disease.
