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Down Syndrome Research Paper

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Down syndrome is where every cell in the body has a nucleus, genetic material is then stored in genes. Some of those genes carry codes that are responsible for the inherited traits that are grouped up along rod-like structures that are called chromosomes. Down syndrome is the part that occurs when one individual has a partial or full copy of chromosome 21. The nucleus of each cells contain 23 different pairs of chromosomes, half of those which are inherited from each of the parent. Some common traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tones, upward slant in the eyes, and single deep crease across the center of the palm. Approximately 400,000 Americans have Down syndrome and almost 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are born in the United States …show more content…

First type of Down syndrome is called Trisomy 21. This Down syndrome is caused by errors in cell divisions called “nondisjunction.” Nondisjunction results in an embryo with three different copies of chromosome 21 instead of usual two. A pair of 21st chromosomes are in either the sperm or the egg fails to separate. While the embryo develops, extra chromosomes are replicated in every cells of the body. The type of Down syndrome accounts for 95% of cases, known as trisomy 21. The second type of Down syndrome is mosaicism. Mosaicism is a diagnosed where a mixture of two cells, some containing the usual 46 chromosomes and some contain 47. Some of those cells with 47 chromosomes contain an extra chromosome 21. This is the least common form of Down syndrome and accounts of for only 1% of all cases of Down syndrome. Researchers has indicated individuals with mosaic Down syndrome may have fewer characteristics of Down syndrome than those with other types of Down syndrome. The last type of disease is translocation. In translocation, accounts of 4% of cases of Down syndrome, total number of chromosomes in the cells remain 46; however, an additional full or partial copy of chromosome 21 attaches of another chromosome, usually known as chromosome 14. This presence of extra full or partial chromosomes causes characteristics of Down

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