Before thinking about the causes of Down syndrome, you should know that the condition is caused by an extra chromosome. In order to understand what this means you should really understand the role and function of the chromosomes and also the way they act.
Genetic information and the Down syndrome causes
Think of chromosomes as little packages carrying genetic information. The human body is made of cells and in each cell there are our genes. The genes are inherited from our parents. Their main point is to offer instructions regarding the function and structure of the organism.
When it comes to the Down syndrome causing factors you should know that people have about 25,000 genes. These are located in the chromosomes. In fact they look something like the pearls on a necklace. They are aligned and they have a well-defined order and purpose.
Genes
If you are thinking about the causes of Down syndrome remember that DNA makes up the genes. This is made of four different chemicals known as bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). These create the genetic code. DNA makes up the genes that can be found on the chromosomes.
Each gene has a specific instruction for the body. Remember this when you are thinking about the causing factors of Down syndrome. Some of these genes determine the physical characteristics, while others are meant to determine the personal traits and the abilities.
Chromosomes
These chromosomes on which you can find the genes come in pairs. Those who don’t have to think about the causes of Down syndrome have 46 chromosomes and 23 genes. The first 22 pairs are the autosomes and the last pair is the sex chromosomes. These chromosomes can be seen under the microscope.
Trisomy
In case you are interested in the cause of Down syndrome you should know that the people with the condition have an extra chromosome, so in total they have 47 chromosomes. This is why the condition is also known as trisomy. In this case there are three chromosomes with the number of 21.
The actual Down syndrome cause is that these people have three copies of the instructions found on the chromosome with the number 21. According to estimations there are 400 genes on this chromosome. This means that the affected people have 400 more instructions.
Although the causes of Down syndrome don’t sound that bad because having some extra instructions should be something good, it is more like adding too many ingredients to a recipe. The basis of the body will be the same, but the functions and the form will be different, and this is where the problem begins.
Almost all of the parents are wondering about the causes of Down syndrome. This is because we all want to avoid having a child with this syndrome. It is difficult to live both for the child and for the parents. Sadly there is nothing we could do to avoid the condition or to make it better.
