Our interest in the topic of Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) started when we heard about how many people are affected by this disease. The number of people affected by this disease in the United States alone is around 400,000 people. This genetic disorder is caused when a person is born with an extra copy of chromosome twenty-one. Down syndrome is recognized by things such as short stature, a distinctive palm crease, stubby fingers, mental retardation that can end up being serious, a wide gap between first and second toes, flat face, eyelid folds, a large fissured tongue, a distinctive palm crease, and a round head. Those affected by Down syndrome have increased risks for Alzheimer disease in their later stages of life. This disease can not be cured
…show more content…
Many people that have Trisomy 21 have a chance of also being born with severe heart disease. This genetic disorder is due to a change of the chromosome number in the body cells. The Gart gene is used to code for a protein on chromosome 21. This protein is very overly expressed in the region of the third chromosome 21 where the Down syndrome traits are expressed. This is believed to cause the effects of Down syndrome that we can physically see. As we mentioned before, some of these physical appearances include short stature, a flat face, stubby fingers, eyelid folds, a round head, a large fissured tongue, a distinctive palm crease, mental retardation that can end up being serious, and a wide gap between first and second toes. Patients affected by Trisomy 21 get these physical appearances because the extra chromosome affects the …show more content…
“Even though people with Down syndrome might act and look similar, each person has different abilities. People with Down syndrome usually have an IQ in the mildly-to-moderately low range and are slower to speak than other children” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Also, the extra copy of chromosome 21 can have an effect of the amount of protein that the cells of the Down syndrome patient makes. Producing either too much protein or too little protein can cause serious problems for the body. “In rare cases, Down syndrome is caused by a Robertsonian translocation, which occurs when the long arm of chromosome 21 breaks off and attaches to another chromosome at the centromere. Carriers of such a translocation will not have Down syndrome themselves, but they can have children with Down syndrome” (learn.genetics.utah.edu). According the the U.S. National Library of Medicine, around 50% of all babies born with Down syndrome also are born with some sort of heart defect (Genetics Home Reference). Additionally, there are many other severe medical conditions that people with Trisomy 21 can have during their lifespan. Some of these severe conditions
Many people that have Trisomy 21 have a chance of also being born with severe heart disease. This genetic disorder is due to a change of the chromosome number in the body cells. The Gart gene is used to code for a protein on chromosome 21. This protein is very overly expressed in the region of the third chromosome 21 where the Down syndrome traits are expressed. This is believed to cause the effects of Down syndrome that we can physically see. As we mentioned before, some of these physical appearances include short stature, a flat face, stubby fingers, eyelid folds, a round head, a large fissured tongue, a distinctive palm crease, mental retardation that can end up being serious, and a wide gap between first and second toes. Patients affected by Trisomy 21 get these physical appearances because the extra chromosome affects the …show more content…
“Even though people with Down syndrome might act and look similar, each person has different abilities. People with Down syndrome usually have an IQ in the mildly-to-moderately low range and are slower to speak than other children” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Also, the extra copy of chromosome 21 can have an effect of the amount of protein that the cells of the Down syndrome patient makes. Producing either too much protein or too little protein can cause serious problems for the body. “In rare cases, Down syndrome is caused by a Robertsonian translocation, which occurs when the long arm of chromosome 21 breaks off and attaches to another chromosome at the centromere. Carriers of such a translocation will not have Down syndrome themselves, but they can have children with Down syndrome” (learn.genetics.utah.edu). According the the U.S. National Library of Medicine, around 50% of all babies born with Down syndrome also are born with some sort of heart defect (Genetics Home Reference). Additionally, there are many other severe medical conditions that people with Trisomy 21 can have during their lifespan. Some of these severe conditions