Matthew has the inherited form of the eye cancer retinoblastoma.His disease is caused by

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Matthew's inherited form of retinoblastoma is caused by a germinal mutation in one RB allele, and a somatic mutation in the other allele. This is known as the two-hit hypothesis, where both copies of the gene need to be mutated in order for the disease to manifest. The germinal mutation is present in all of Matthew's cells and increases his risk of developing retinoblastoma, whereas the somatic mutation occurs specifically in the cells of the retina and leads to the development of the cancer. Choice A is incorrect because it suggests only one allele is mutated, when in fact both alleles must be mutated. Choice B is incorrect because somatic mutations do not occur in every cell of the body, only in the affected tissue. Choice D is incorrect because it only explains the development of retinoblastoma in one eye, whereas Matthew has the inherited form which typically affects both eyes. Choice E is incorrect because RB is not an oncogene, it is a tumor suppressor gene.

Matthew Has the Inherited Form of the Eye Cancer Retinoblastoma