Down Syndrome: A Genetic Disorder

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Nature of the disorder Down syndrome is a genetic disorder, not an illness or a disease. Another name for Down syndrome is ‘Trismony 21’. Down syndrome is caused by an error in the cell division where an extra chromosome appears, being the 21st chromosome. When a baby is being produced, the inherited details from the child’s parents are 46 chromosomes in total, usually 23 chromosomes from each parent alone. In all instances of Down syndrome, a child gets an extra chromosome because of the error in the cell division. This becomes a total of 47 chromosomes instead of 46. This extra chromosome causes he physical features and developmental delays in the child. Down syndrome has various symptoms which include: • Flat facial features: Their nasal…show more content…
John Langdon Down discovered ‘Down syndrome’, when he published an essay in England, which described a set of children with common features. In Surrey, England, John Langon Down had the opportunity to be the supervisor of a place for all children with a mental problem. This is when he made the first distinction between children. Down syndrome is the most common genetic disorder. Statistics show that: One of every 700-900 babies born worldwide have Down syndrome. Down syndrome is the condition where all the people suffering it, look alike. This is because the 21st chromosomes job is “appearance”. A chromosome is described as a thread-like structure composed of DNA and other proteins. Chromosomes are present in every cell in the body and carry genetic information needed for that cell to develop. Down syndrome limits the person’s intelligence and speech. Meaning they have trouble communicating to others. This disorder can destroy a person’s life for various reasons which…show more content…
• Don’t want to have children because they don’t want their child to also have Down syndrome. • Can’t have children because they have a health problem. • Their ‘ugly’ and abnormal because that’s what society thinks of them. The chromosome structure of Down syndrome is that the child has 47 chromosomes in total not 46 like a human without Down syndrome. Human cells normally have 46 chromosomes which can be arranged in 23 pairs. With Down syndrome, in the 21st chromosome, you have three genes instead of two. Future research Down syndrome has no cure as it is a genetic disorder, which gets carried down from your parents and develops from birth. However, there are treatments for speech, physical activity and intellectual abilities. Often kids with Down syndrome go to a speech pathologist to maximise their communication skills as they mumble when they talk. These treatments may be expensive, but the kids need these skills to cope with society. As technology is a big deal in every child’s life, you could download apps that will help them learn the alphabet and write. Also, they need regular checks at the doctor to see if everything is healthy. Research suggests that despite the living condition of the child, you can still go ahead of your life and continue with it

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