Tay sachs disease is due to

Options

A. Sex linked recessive gene
B. Sexlinked dominant gene
C. Autosomal dominant gene
D. Autosomal rescessive gene

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Tay-Sachs Disease**: Tay-Sachs disease is a rare genetic disorder that primarily affects the nervous system. It leads to the destruction of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

2. **Symptoms of Tay-Sachs Disease**: Symptoms typically appear between 3 to 6 months of age. Affected infants may lose their ability to turn over, sit, and crawl. This is followed by severe neurological symptoms, including seizures and eventual death, usually occurring between 3 to 5 years of age.

3. **Genetic Basis of Tay-Sachs Disease**: Since Tay-Sachs is a genetic disorder, it is caused by a defective gene. The specific type of inheritance pattern is crucial in identifying the nature of the disorder.

4. **Identifying the Type of Genetic Disorder**: Tay-Sachs disease is classified as an autosomal recessive disorder. This means that the defective gene responsible for the disease is located on one of the autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) and that two copies of the defective gene (one from each parent) are necessary for the disease to manifest.

5. **Location of the Defective Gene**: The defective gene associated with Tay-Sachs disease is found on chromosome 15.

6. **Conclusion**: Based on the understanding of the disease, its symptoms, and its genetic basis, the correct answer to the question is that Tay-Sachs disease is due to an **autosomal recessive gene**.

**Final Answer**: Tay-Sachs disease is due to an **autosomal recessive gene**.

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