HELIXPrep › Genetics, Cellular and Molecular Biology › Genetics & Evolutionary Biology
Module 3.1 · Topic 7
Module 3.1 · Topic 7
A single error in one cell division, lasting a lifetime
Down syndrome doesn't come from a faulty gene, a mutation, or anything inherited in the usual sense. It comes from a single mechanical failure during one meiotic division in one parent's cell — a pair of chromosomes that should have separated, didn't.
Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) becomes significantly more likely as maternal age increases. What's the most plausible biological reason?
Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) results from:
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