Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive disease that results from a defect in an enzyme that normally metabolizes the amino acid phenylalanine; when this enzyme is defective, high levels of phenylalanine cause brain damage, in the past, most children with PKU became intellectually disabled. Fortunately, intellectual disability can be prevented in these children by carefully controlling the amount of phenylalanine in the diet. The diet is usually applied during childhood when the brain development is taking place. As a result of this treatment, many people with PKU now reach reproductive age. Children born to women with PKU (who are no longer on a phenylalanine-restricted diet) frequently have low birth weight, developmental abnormalities, and intellectual disabilities. However, children of men with PKU do not have these problems.  QUESTION:  Describe the results depicted in Fig. 1 Use the first question to provide an explanation for these observations. What type of genetic effect is this? Explain your reasoning.

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Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive disease that results from a defect in an enzyme that normally metabolizes the amino acid phenylalanine; when this enzyme is defective, high levels of phenylalanine cause brain damage, in the past, most children with PKU became intellectually disabled. Fortunately, intellectual disability can be prevented in these children by carefully controlling the amount of phenylalanine in the diet. The diet is usually applied during childhood when the brain development is taking place. As a result of this treatment, many people with PKU now reach reproductive age. Children born to women with PKU (who are no longer on a phenylalanine-restricted diet) frequently have low birth weight, developmental abnormalities, and intellectual disabilities. However, children of men with PKU do not have these problems.

 QUESTION: 

  1. Describe the results depicted in Fig. 1
  2. Use the first question to provide an explanation for these observations.
  3. What type of genetic effect is this? Explain your reasoning. 
WISC Full Scale IQ at 7 Years
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0246 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Average Maternal Phenylalanine Level
During Pregnancy
Fig. 1: Relation of average phenylalanine in maternal blood during
pregnancy and child Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)-
Revised IQ scores at age 7 years. (Note: solid line represents predicted
IQ scores under the two-piece linear spline model.) From Widaman,
2009 (Curr Dir Psychol Sci.)
Transcribed Image Text:WISC Full Scale IQ at 7 Years 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0246 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 Average Maternal Phenylalanine Level During Pregnancy Fig. 1: Relation of average phenylalanine in maternal blood during pregnancy and child Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)- Revised IQ scores at age 7 years. (Note: solid line represents predicted IQ scores under the two-piece linear spline model.) From Widaman, 2009 (Curr Dir Psychol Sci.)
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