Muscular dystrophy is the progressive degeneration (weakening and wasting) of skeletal muscle, and it is mostly caused by a genetic (inherited) disorder. For NEET, remember the single key word: it is the INHERITED muscle disorder. Memory hook: "Dystrophy = DNA problem" (both start with D) so it runs in families, unlike autoimmune myasthenia gravis or low-calcium tetany.
Muscular dystrophy: a genetic (inherited) defect causes progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle, leading to weakness and wasting — unlike autoimmune myasthenia gravis or low-calcium tetany.
Your doubts, answered
Is muscular dystrophy genetic or autoimmune?
Muscular dystrophy is GENETIC (inherited), not autoimmune. NCERT says it is 'progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle mostly due to genetic disorder.' The autoimmune muscle disorder is Myasthenia gravis, which attacks the neuromuscular junction. Do not mix these two up.
What does 'progressive degeneration' mean here?
'Progressive' means it gets worse slowly over time. 'Degeneration' means the muscle tissue breaks down, weakens and wastes away. So in muscular dystrophy the skeletal muscles keep losing strength as the years pass because of a defect in the person's genes.
Which muscle disorder is inherited for NEET?
Muscular dystrophy is the inherited (passed from parents through genes) one. Tetany comes from low calcium, myasthenia gravis is autoimmune, and botulism is food poisoning by a bacterium. Only muscular dystrophy is caused by a genetic problem.
Does muscular dystrophy affect skeletal muscle or smooth muscle?
It affects SKELETAL muscle (the voluntary muscle attached to bones). NCERT specifically says 'degeneration of skeletal muscle.' This is why the person slowly loses the power to move, walk and hold posture.
⚠️ The NEET trap ✗ Marking muscular dystrophy as an autoimmune disorder because it also causes muscle weakness like myasthenia gravis. ✓ Muscular dystrophy is a GENETIC (inherited) disorder causing progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle. Myasthenia gravis is the AUTOIMMUNE one. 🧠 Weakness is a symptom in both, but the CAUSE is the exam point: dystrophy = genes, gravis = immune attack on the neuromuscular junction.
Real NEET questions
NEET 2019
Which of the following muscular disorders is inherited?
A · Tetany
B · Muscular dystrophy ✓
C · Myasthenia gravis
D · Botulism
Solution: Muscular dystrophy is a progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle that is mostly due to a genetic (inherited) disorder. Tetany is caused by low Ca2+ in body fluid, Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction, and botulism is food poisoning by Clostridium botulinum — none of these is inherited. So the answer is B, Muscular dystrophy.
Solved Locomotion and Movement NEET PYQs
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
It is a disease where skeletal muscles slowly get weaker and waste away over time, and it is caused mostly by a genetic (inherited) defect.
Why is muscular dystrophy important for NEET?
NEET often asks which muscle disorder is inherited. The one-line answer is muscular dystrophy (genetic). It is directly given in NCERT Class 11, Chapter Locomotion and Movement, section 17.5 Disorders.
How is muscular dystrophy different from myasthenia gravis?
Muscular dystrophy is a genetic (inherited) degeneration of skeletal muscle. Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the neuromuscular junction. Cause is genetic vs immune — that is the exam difference.
What type of muscle does muscular dystrophy affect?
It affects skeletal (voluntary) muscle, the muscle attached to bones that helps in movement and posture.
