Cell Membranes are made of Lipids, Proteins, and Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found as glycoproteins and glycolipids, part of address labels on cells. Tay Sachs Disease- lysosomal storage disease. A disease where the ability to degrade membrane components is lost. Glycolipid degrading enzyme, hexosaminidase A, is missing Children are normal for one year.
Children become less responsive.
They stop trying to walk, and further degenerate until they can't move, hear, or see. The children die usually between 3-5 years, and must receive total care. A section of the brain of a Tay Sachs child. The empty vacuoles are lysosomes that had been filled with glycolipid until extracted with alcohol in preparing the tissue. There is no treatment for Tay Sachs disease, but gene screening can detect carriers.