Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease characterized by hypochloremia and autosomal recessive inheritance tendencies. CF occurs in 1 in 2500 births, and 1 out of 25 whites carry one copy of the specific gene that causes cystic Fibrosis. When one of 2 or more alternative forms of a gene in the DNA sequence is at a genomic location with embryos inheriting two alleles, one from each parent, the individual is homozygous (having identical genome markers found at the same place on the chromosome). . (McCance & Huether, 2019

Homozygous individuals must have a recessive allele to deliver the disease. (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2023) These genes or alleles are classified as normal, wild-type, abnormal, or mutant. If the allele is different, defined as heterozygous, or has two versions of the genomic marker. (Dutra, Ph.D., 2023) The CF gene encodes a protein product that forms chloride channels in the membranes of specialized epithelial cells.
Defective transport of chloride ions leads to a salt imbalance, resulting in secretions of abnormally thick, dehydrated mucus. Some digestive organs, particularly the pancreas, become obstructed, causing malnutrition, and the lungs become clogged with mucus making them highly susceptible to bacterial infections (Pseudomonas). With the progression of the disease, lung disease and heart failure develop, and by age 40, death is expected. Consanguinity or two individuals from the same bloodline (second cousins or closer) becoming pregnant with both carrying the same recessive genes, contributing to the inheritance of CF. (Dutra, Ph.D., 2023, Chapter four)

Why is the patient presenting with the specific symptoms described?

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Sample Solution

The patient is presenting with specific symptoms due to the defective transport of chloride ions caused by a defective CF gene. This disrupts the salt balance in their body, resulting in abnormally thick and dehydrated mucus secretions.

Sample Solution

The patient is presenting with specific symptoms due to the defective transport of chloride ions caused by a defective CF gene. This disrupts the salt balance in their body, resulting in abnormally thick and dehydrated mucus secretions.

The mucus can obstruct certain organs like the pancreas, causing malnutrition, as well as clog up their lungs which increases susceptibility to bacterial infections (Pseudomonas). Over time, this can lead to lung disease and heart failure, eventually leading to death around age 40. These symptoms are further exacerbated if someone has consanguinity or two individuals from the same bloodline become pregnant and both carry the same recessive genes that contribute to CF inheritance.

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