Report Abuse. In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains only half of the total complement of chromosomes: The sporophyte produces spores, in a process called meiosis.
The life expectancy of cystic fibrosis patients has been increasing over the past 40 years. In the 1980s life expectancy of people with cystic fibrosis was 14 years. 10 years back, the life expectancy of a person with cystic fibrosis was around 18 years. Today it is 35 years. The median life expectancy of a newborn with cystic fibrosis has increased from 4 years to 32 years. It has been estimated that there has been more than 10 year increase in the average life expectancy of affected people in North America. Over 90% of the affected infants now survive beyond one year.
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that causes the body to produce thick and sticky mucus that can clog the lungs and obstruct the pancreas. This genetic disease can be life threatening, and affects an estimated 30,000 children and adults in the US, with around 1,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Cystic fibrosis is most commonly diagnosed via a sweat test. 2  There are over 1,900 known mutations of the cystic fibrosis gene. 3  Even people with the same gene variation can have vastly different phenotypes, causing significant differences in symptoms and prognosis. 4  There is currently no absolute cure for cystic fibrosis.