The great white shark is notable for its size, with mature female individuals growing up to 6.1 m (20 ft) in length and 1,950 kg (4,300 lb) in weight. However most are smaller, males measuring 3.35 to 3.96 m (11 ft 0 in to 13 ft 0 in) and females 4.57 to 4.88 m (15 ft 0 in to 16 ft 0 in) on average.
For most ALS genes, only one mutated copy is needed to cause disease. This is called a âdominantâ gene. For other genes, both copies must be mutated to cause disease. This is called a ârecessiveâ gene. During formation of eggs and sperm, gene pairs split up, so that an egg (or sperm) contains only one gene copy.
There are two different types of ALS, sporadic and familial. Sporadic which is the most common form of the disease in the U.S., is 90 â 95 percent of all cases. It may affect anyone, anywhere. Familial ALS (FALS) accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all cases in the U.S. Familial ALS means the disease is inherited. In those families, there is a 50% chance each offspring will inherit the gene mutation and may develop the disease.