Reference no: EM133718236

Question

Katarina is 17-year-old and a promising swimmer. She is 6' 2" with a 6'10" arm span. She has worn glasses for extreme near sightedness since she was 10 and needed braces and a palate expander to correct her crowded teeth from when she was 11 to when she turned 13. At her most recent physical, her doctor noted a slight murmur when listening to her heart. The physician suggested that she see a specialist about the possibility of Marfan syndrome. A quick Google search found that her swimming idol - Michael Phelps - had been tested for this condition. She also learned that in 1986, Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman died of complications from Marfan syndrome. This scared her a bit and she wanted to learn more. Checking out the Marfan Foundation website and her go to site - Wikipedia - she learned that Marfan syndrome is caused by a mutation in the gene for fibrillin-1. Help Katrina learn more about this condition. What is fibrillin-1 and where is it found? What is the function of fibrillin-1 with respect to cardiovascular development? What type of problems could this cause? Complete the table below, explaining the symptoms and cause.