MOLECULAR GENETICS OF CLEFT LIP AND PALATE: A REVIEW

Gregor Mendel's work (1822 - 1884) was primarily focused on pea plants. Through his initial experiments, he determined that every gene in a diploid cell has two variants called alleles inherited from each parent. He suggested that amongst these two alleles, one allele is dominant in character and the other recessive. The combination of alleles determines the phenotype of a gene in an organism.

Cystic fibrosis (CF), an autosomal recessive disorder, significantly affects the function of exocrine glands. This genetically inherited disease is characterized by the production of thick and sticky mucus, which can severely affect various organs and systems in the body.
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation,...

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...

Cohesin protein complexes are a molecular glue that holds two sister chromatids together. They play an important role both in mitosis and meiosis. In mitosis, all cohesin complexes present on the chromosomes are removed before the start of the anaphase stage.
Cohesin complexes in Meiotic Division
Meiosis involves two distinct rounds of chromosomal segregation and cell divisions— Meiosis I followed by Meiosis II – producing four daughter cells. Meiosis I includes the separation of...