|
|
Article: Down's Syndrome
- Article from:
- UXL Complete Health Resource
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
DOWN'S SYNDROME
DEFINITION
Down's syndrome is the most common cause of mental retardation (see mental retardation entry) and malformation in newborns. It occurs because of the presence of an extra chromosome.
DESCRIPTION
Chromosomes are structures that carry genetic information in cells. They carry the instructions that tell cells what functions they are to perform. They determine the way a person's body looks and the way it functions.
Cells normally carry two matched sets of twenty-three chromosomes for a total of forty-six chromosomes. One set of twenty-three chromosomes comes from each parent. Down's syndrome occurs when one chromosome pair is damaged. That pair is designated as ...