Genetics play a huge role in the lives of every individual Genes are responsible for many of the traits that make us who we are, Genes, or the mutation of genes, can also be responsible for the presence of negative traits in an individual. These mutations, inherited or derived, can present themselves in the form of conditions or disorders My mother and grandmother both show signs of having a condition called androgenetic alopecia, or male/female pattern baldness. Androgenetic alopecia is a common condition that has been linked to both genetic and environmental factors. This condition is found in both men and women that can be inherited or caused by a mutation in the androgen receptor (AR) gene‘. The AR gene is what regulates hormones called androgens, which are responsible for regulating hair growth. The effects of androgenetic alopecia can be intensified when environmental factors are introduced (gene—environment interaction) Stress and anxiety are both triggers and catalysts for androgenetic alopecia.
This interaction between environment and genetics is what I believe best fits my mother and grandmother‘s expression of symptoms equated with androgenetic alopecia. I believe that in my mother‘s case, it is not as severe as with my grandmother who is completely bald. Both my mother and my grandmother experience a lot of stress My grandmother experienced the worst of her stress during her late 305 mid-40$, which is when she began to see the thinning of her hair. Slowly, my grandmother developed bald spots throughout her head and later became completely bald minus random areas of hair growth. My mother only has some hair thinning behind her hairline (not at the actual hairline) and around the middle of her head She is in her early 405 and experiences a lot of stress throughout her day-to-day life. Over the last couple of years, my mother’s hair has grown progressively thinner and I wonder if one day she may be bald like my grandmother.
In addition to the gene-environment interactions concerning androgenetic alopecia, I also believe that the location of the AR gene could also help explain why my mother and grandmother express the symptoms associated with androgenetic alopecia. The AR gene is located on the X chromosome, which implies that androgenetic alopecia is a sex-lined trait. If this were the case, my grandmother would have inherited the mutation of the AR gene from her mother or father and my mother from my grandmother I believe that my mother and grandmother may have androgenetic alopecia and there is a high possibility that if my mother has this condition, the condition, in her case and possibly mine, is genetic. Environmental factors could also play a role in the expression of these symptoms with my mother and grandmother’s high-stress levels. It is not confirmed whether either my mother or grandmother have the condition, but after doing the research on androgenetic alopecia, all of their symptoms suggest that they have the condition.
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