Thursday, December 16, 2010

PKU summary/ review

PKU is a rare inherited disease that causes your body to make to much phenylalanine.  The enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine becomes inhibited.  When this happens dangerous amounts of phenylalanine cancause damage to your brain tissue.  Most of you are askin what is that.  Phenyalanine is a natural substance that is a building block for protein.  This is one of the first tests you go through when you are born.  You treat PKU by going on an intense low protein diet. In the diet there is an artificial protein that contains phenyalanine.  If a child has this the artificial proteins will still allow them to grow up and live a perfectly good life.  But if your child eats too much meat, cheese, poultry, eggs and milk they could become very ill and possibly even die.  Hope you enjoyed my little summary of PKU:)

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