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Down Syndrome

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. Down syndrome is not a disease that someone catches and is not caused by difficulties during the pregnancy, it is a genetic condition. This condition is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in the body’s cells and causes a redundant amount of proteins to be formed. All cells of the body derive from a single cell formed by the fusion of a father’s sperm and a mother’s egg. Each cell carries a nucleus full of genetic material known as genes. These genes are inherited from both the mother and father. Each cell normally contains 46 pairs of chromosomes. 23 chromosomes come from one parent and 23 from the other, hence the 46 pairs. When it comes to children with down syndrome, one of the chromosomes does not separate properly and so the …show more content…

Trisomy 21, also known as nondisjunction, means that there is an extra copy of chromosome 21 in the cell and is the most common. Translocation occurs when there are two 21 chromosomes plus an extra piece of chromosome 21 that had attached itself to another chromosome during the division process. Those who have mosaic down syndrome contain an extra chromosome 21 in only some of their cells while others are unaffected. People with mosaic down syndrome tend to have milder physical features and intellectual abilities than those who have trisomy 21 and translocation down syndrome. According to Mark Selikowitz, maternal age is a significant factor in causing trisomy 21. When females are born, all the eggs that a woman will produce are already present. The eggs wait years, some longer than others to be released and it is during the wait period (some 20-40 years) that it is believed errors can occur. On the contrary, man’s sperm does not remain standing therefore less probability for error. Additionally, people with a family history of down syndrome and people who carry the genetic translocation are factors to consider whether the child would be at

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