Sindrome De Down

Cristina Telles

Down syndrome

We live among 400,000 Americans with down syndrome, and a lot of people do not know why is down syndrome so common or why does it happen. Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic conditions in the world. This syndrome happens when the 21 chromosome is duplicated which means we have an extra chromosome. Usually our body cells carry a nucleus that carries all of our genetic information. In reality the nucleus of the cells, carry the inherited traits and genes that our parents pass on to us and us to our children. When Down syndrome takes place that is when the nucleus of the cell has made and extra chromosome that will affect with the characteristics of the child.

Down syndrome is very common; around 1 out of 691 babies born in American are born with Down syndrome. In a year, 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome in America. The first man to describe and to get credit for explaining Down syndrome was John Langdon Down. His work published in 1866 earns the recognition of the "father" of the syndrome. Down in his work described the syndrome as unique and quite distinct from other syndromes. Later in 1959 was when Down syndrome was identified as a chromosomal condition this researcher identified that from the usual 46 chromosomes that we have a person with Down syndrome had and extra chromosome making it 47 chromosomes. Years later, scientists discovered that from the 329 chromosomes, chromosome 21 was duplicated and was the cause of Down syndrome.

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