What is Down Syndrome?

In every cell in the human body there is a nucleus, where genetic material is stored in genes. Genes carry the codes responsible for all of our inherited traits and are grouped forth rod-similar structures chosen chromosomes. Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial actress copy of chromosome 21.

This additional genetic textile alters the grade of evolution and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. A few of the common physical traits of Down's syndrome are depression muscle tone, pocket-sized stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep pucker across the center of the palm – although each person with Downward syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees, or not at all.

How Common is Down's syndrome?

According to the Centers for Disease Command and Prevention, approximately one in every 700 babies in the Usa is born with Downwardly syndrome, making Downwards syndrome the most common chromosomal condition. About half-dozen,000 babies with Down syndrome are born in the The states each year.

When Was Down's syndrome Discovered?

For centuries, people with Down syndrome have been alluded to in art, literature and science. It wasn't until the late nineteenth century, however, that John Langdon Downward, an English doc, published an accurate description of a person with Down's syndrome. It was this scholarly work, published in 1866, that earned Down the recognition as the "father" of the syndrome. Although other people had previously recognized the characteristics of the syndrome, it was Downwardly who described the condition as a distinct and separate entity.

In recent history, advances in medicine and science have enabled researchers to investigate the characteristics of people with Down syndrome. In 1959, the French physician Jérôme Lejeune identified Down's syndrome as a chromosomal condition. Instead of the usual 46 chromosomes nowadays in each cell, Lejeune observed 47 in the cells of individuals with Down syndrome. It was subsequently determined that an actress partial or whole copy of chromosome 21 results in the characteristics associated with Down's syndrome. In the year 2000, an international team of scientists successfully identified and catalogued each of the approximately 329 genes on chromosome 21. This accomplishment opened the door to cracking advances in Downward syndrome research.