Polydactyly

__Tyler Steven Hayden__ discovered polydactyly in 1864 but his data is hard to reach, the first bones with symptoms of Polydactyly that were studied and recorded were from AD 1100-1500 located northwest of Victoria Falls in Zambia. The unique skeletons studied had more than five digits per hand and foot is what made them of interest for scientists around the world. 

The disorder is __not fatal__ unless it is linked to another fatal disorder, in fact, it may not even have more than one symptom. Polydactyly is a genetic disorder in which an extra ditch is found on the hand and/or feet and are present from birth. The extra digit may or may not be removed depending on where on the hand/ foot it is located, and if there is a bone in it. Sometimes the extra digit may function as well as the others and not require removal.

Polydactyly is inherited genetically as an __autosomal dominant trait__. Autosomal refers to not being sex-linked, meaning that both females and males have an equal chance of inheriting this trait. 

Although certain studies show that polydactyly can be affected by diet of the mother in early pregnancy, that can not be proven because Polydactyly is a dominant allele that is only cured by surgery for the removal of extra digits.

Polydactyly is not more common in males than females, but is more common in African Americans. Although it occurs in Caucasians, it is most likely derived from another disorder. Polydactyly is most common in India. One in 143 live births in Africans and African Americans is expected to have some form of Polydactyly while the incidence of Polydactyly in Caucasians is reported as one in 1,339 live births. Over all, the average number of children with this disorder is one out of every 1000 live births. Not only is it in humans but can also be found in other organisms such as cats.



Tests such as X-rays and blood tests are taken to receive a better understanding of the extra digit, and to come across any genetic disorders that may be present to fully be able to diagnose this disorder.

The gene GL13 is responsible for this disorder, and over 40 mutations can cause this disorder to occur. The GL13 gene lays a role in cell growth, cell specialization, and the patterning of structures such as the brain and limbs and the main way it is mutated is when the protein required by the gene to function is disturbed. Polydactyly is a autosomal dominant. 

Works cited:


 * Page name || Url ||
 * Medalineplus || <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">https://medlineplus.gov ||
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">BBC- GSCE Bitesize || <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/ ||
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Bright Hub || <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.brighthub.com ||
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">pub.med.gov || <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10096682 ||
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">HRF || <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">https://healthresearchfunding.org/21-great-polydactyly-statistics/ ||
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">NCBI || <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5732663/ ||
 * <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Genetics Home Reference || <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/GLI3#resources ||