Tay-Sachs is a rare inherited disorder that is transferred genetically. The risk of the disease occurrence is highest among Eastern European Jews. The genetic cause of Tay-Sachs is the inheritance of two defective genes, one from the father and one from the mother. The gene is responsible for the lack of the enzyme hexosaminidase A. Because of that, a fatty substance called ganglioside, which is being produced in nerve cells, does not break down and cannot be synthesized. Excessive production of ganglioside produces the symptoms of Tay-Sachs disease.
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