Unbreakable Bones: The LRP5 Mutation
Reading Text
Bones give our bodies structure, but they can break if we fall or get into an accident. As people get older, their bones naturally become weaker and more fragile. However, researchers discovered a family in North America with bones so strong that they almost never break.
This family carries a mutation in a gene called LRP5. This genetic change causes their bodies to build extremely dense, heavy bones throughout their lives. Doctors discovered this when a family member was in a serious car accident and walked away without a single broken bone. People with this condition do not get osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones in old age. While heavy bones can make swimming a little harder because the body is less buoyant, these individuals enjoy a natural shield against injuries.
1. Key Vocabulary
- fragile (adjective): Easily broken, damaged, or destroyed.
- dense (adjective): Closely packed together; thick and heavy.
- buoyant (adjective): Able to float easily in water.
- shield (noun/verb): Something that protects a person from harm or injury.
- injury (noun): Physical damage to a body caused by an accident or attack.
2. Reading Comprehension Questions
- What happens to most people's bones as they grow older?
- How did doctors first realize this family had exceptionally strong bones?
- What is one minor disadvantage of having very dense bones?
3. Grammar & Tenses Focus: Conditionals (Zero and First)
Match the main clause to the conditional clause to create full sentences.
|
If Clause |
Main Clause |
|---|---|
|
1. If you fall down hard, |
A. your body becomes less buoyant in water. |
|
2. If a person has the LRP5 mutation, |
B. they will not break a bone easily in an accident. |
|
3. If your bones are very dense, |
C. you usually break a bone. |
|
4. If scientists study this gene, |
D. their bones remain strong even in old age. |
Reading Comprehension Answers
What happens to most people's bones as they grow older?
They naturally become weaker and more fragile.
How did doctors first realize this family had exceptionally strong bones?
A family member walked away from a serious car accident without a single broken bone.
What is one minor disadvantage of having very dense bones?
It makes swimming harder because the body is less buoyant (floats less easily).
3. Grammar & Tenses Focus Answers
If you fall down hard, C. you usually break a bone.
If a person has the LRP5 mutation, B. they will not break a bone easily in an accident.
If your bones are very dense, A. your body becomes less buoyant in water.
If scientists study this gene, D. their bones remain strong even
in old age.
