Reproductive System
What is the reproductive system?
The reproductive system is a system which involves sexual organs in an organism for the primary purpose of reproduction. In a human male, the reproductive system consists of the penis and the scrotum on the exterior, as well as internal organs around the genital area including the: epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and the prostate gland. In a human female, the reproductive system consists of the: ovaries, oviducts, uterus, cervix, and the vagina.
The reproductive system is a system which involves sexual organs in an organism for the primary purpose of reproduction. In a human male, the reproductive system consists of the penis and the scrotum on the exterior, as well as internal organs around the genital area including the: epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and the prostate gland. In a human female, the reproductive system consists of the: ovaries, oviducts, uterus, cervix, and the vagina.
Alexander Disease affects the reproductive system somewhat in the sense that your defectives genes may be passed down on to your offspring. There are no other known effects or conditions which affect the reproductive system resulting from Alexander Disease.
Inherited Genetic Disorder
Genetic disorders are inherited due to the fact that the child is composed of 46 chromosomes, 23 from each of the child’s parent. Chromosomes contain genes essential for determining everything about the child (think of it as the blueprint), and there may be variations to a single gene and these variations go by the name of alleles. These alleles are caused by mutations in genes. This concept applies to medical disorders as well: a mutation in a gene which results in medical disorders. If an individual is host to a defective gene, the individual will most likely suffer from a certain type of medical condition (in this case Alexander Disease), although factors such as whether the gene is recessive or dominant should be considered.
With the above concept, patients with Alexander Disease must realize that they have a 50% chance of producing a child with Alexander Disease (given they survive long enough to reproduce). As when a child is made from a fertilized egg, the sperm and egg will be host to one of the two pairs of chromosomes present in the adult, resulting in a one in two chance of producing a child with Alexander Disease. Therefore, although it is extremely rare to find a patient who lives long enough to reproduce (it is rare enough to find a patient with Alexander Disease to begin with), it is highly recommended that the patient does not produce any offspring. With that being said, genetic counseling is available for patients who still wish to reproduce. (12, 16)