BLUE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY

We’re not talking about... The smurfs Clinically depressed people Fans of B.B. King Avatar inhabitants

Not Kentucky Fans

WHO ARE THEY? The "Blue People" are descendents of Martin Fugate, who suffered from a recessive gene which limits or stops the production of the enzyme diaphorase.

The lack of this enzyme gives people a blueish cast to their skin rather than pink. Few people still have this gene.

Fugate Family Father + 4 children are blue

Luna Fugate and John Stacey

Lorenzo Dow Fugate and Eleanor Fugate Lorenzo Dow Fugate and Eleanor Fugate. Lorenzo Dow was also know as "Blue Anze"

Of Lonesome Creek, Kentucky

In Hazard, the County Seat

What makes them blue? Methemoglobinemia Red blood cells (RBC) from blue people are deficient in NADH diaphorase activity and cannot reduce the oxidized iron in methemoglobin (metHb).

Symptoms Blue colored skin Headaches Fatigue Coma Death

NOT THIS GUY! Paul Karason a bad case of dermatitis, which results in swollen, reddened and itchy skin. He started self-medicating, using a treatment called colloidal silver

Can you pick out the blue relative?

Blue Lips

Degree of Blueness RBC from the parents of blue people (obligate heterozygotes for the blue trait - Bb) do contain some NADH diaphorase activity but not as much as homozygotes (BB) for the normal allele.

Let’s make a Pedigree What’s that? A Family Tree a chart representing family relationships in a form resembling a tree. As normally presented these trees "grow" down from the top, from the oldest generations at the top to the newer generations at the bottom.

Pedigree Symbols

More Pedigree Symbols

Blue Pedigree of Fugates = male with it = female with it

Can you work out the genotypes? Pedigree of Fugates Can you work out the genotypes?

Pedigree with Genotypes trait visible carrier

Treatment The homozygous patient (bb) daily ingestion of ascorbic acid to increase non- enzymatic reduction of methemoglobin or the use of methylene blue.

You Will Make a Pedigree of Your Own Family GET INSTRUCTION SHEET Choose a trait from the lab of Inheriting Human Traits (the one you drew the face on)

Pedigree Animation Media Showcase: Pedigree