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7.3.2: Chromosomal Disorders

  • Page ID
    228144
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    Learning Objectives
    1. Differentiate between autosomal and sex-linked chromosomal disorders.
    2. Explain how structural changes and errors during cell division can result in chromosomal abnormalities.
    3. Describe the impact of advanced maternal age on chromosomal disorders.

    Chromosomal Disorders

    A chromosomal abnormality occurs when a child inherits too many or too few chromosomes. There are two causes for chromosomal abnormalities:

    1. When a chromosome is not in a pair (occurs by chance).
    2. There is a change in chromosome structure (occurs by chance or is inherited).

    Types of Structural Changes

    1. Deletion occurs when part of a chromosome is lost or deleted.
    2. Inversion occurs when a section of a chromosome breaks off, flips around, and then reattaches in the opposite direction.
    3. Duplication occurs when a section of a chromosome is repeated.
    4. Translocation occurs when part of one chromosome breaks off and attaches to another chromosome.

    Types of chromosome structural changes

    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Types of Mutations. Image by kingmaxton8 is in the public domain.

    Advanced Maternal Age as a Risk Factor

    The most common cause of chromosomal abnormalities is the age of the mother. As the mother ages, egg quality decreases over time, starting around age 32 and decreasing more rapidly after age 37, due to longer-term exposure to environmental factors. Consequently, some gametes do not divide evenly when they are forming. Therefore, some cells have more than 46 chromosomes. Close to half of all zygotes are believed to have an odd number of chromosomes. Most of these zygotes fail to develop and are spontaneously aborted by the mother’s body.

    Autosomal Chromosome Disorders

    Autosomal chromosome disorders are caused by autosomal abnormalities, or non-sex chromosomes (the other 22 pairs). The disorder occurs due to too many or too few chromosomes. Here is a table of some autosomal chromosomal disorders:

    Table \(\PageIndex{1}\) - Autosomal Chromosomal Disorders
    Disorder Description
    Down Syndrome/Trisomy 21 Caused by an extra chromosome 21 and includes a combination of
    birth defects. Affected individuals have some degree of intellectual
    disability, characteristic facial features, often heart defects, and other
    health problems. The severity varies greatly among affected
    individuals.
    Trisomy 9
    Mosaicism
    Caused by having an extra chromosome 9 in some cells. The severity
    of effects relates to the proportion of cells with extra chromosomes.
    The effects include fetal growth restriction resulting in low birth
    weight and multiple anomalies, including facial, cardiac,
    musculoskeletal, genital, kidney, and respiratory abnormalities.
    Trisomy 13 Caused by an extra chromosome 13. Affected individuals have
    multiple birth defects and generally die in the first weeks or months of
    life.
    Trisomy 18

    Caused by an extra chromosome 18, the affected individual also has multiple birth defects and early death.

    clipboard_e962f28d57cd7ce1377fbd20f9f978d18.png
    Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Infant boy with Trisomy 9 Mosaicism. Image by Ashley Onken used with permission.

    Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Girl with XXX Syndrome. Image is in the public domain.

    Sex-Linked Chromosomal Disorders

    Sex-linked chromosomal disorders occur when the abnormality is on the 23rd pair, or the chromosomes that determine a person's biological sex. Here is a table of some sex-linked chromosomal disorders:

    Table \(\PageIndex{2}\) - Sex-Linked Chromosomal Disorders
    Disorder Description
    Turner Syndrome
    (XO)
    It occurs when all or part of one of the X chromosomes is lost before or soon after conception due to a random event. The resulting zygote has an XO composition. Turner Syndrome affects cognitive functioning and sexual maturation in girls. Infertility and short stature may be noted. Affects about 3% of all female babies conceived.
    Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY) It occurs when an extra X chromosome is present in a male's cells due to a random event. The Y chromosome stimulates the growth of male genitalia, but the additional X chromosome inhibits this development. The male can have some breast development,
    infertility, and low levels of testosterone.
    1 in 500-1,000 male births
    XYY Syndrome It occurs when an extra Y chromosome is present in a male's cells.
    There are a few symptoms. They may include being taller than average, acne, and an increased risk of learning problems. The person is generally otherwise normal, including normal fertility.
    1 in 1,000 male births
    Triple X Syndrome
    (XXX)
    It occurs when an extra X chromosome is present in a female's cells. It may result in being taller than average, learning difficulties, decreased muscle tone, seizures, and kidney problems. 1 in 1,000 female births
    Fragile X Syndrome It occurs when the body cannot make enough of a protein it needs for the brain to grow, causing problems with learning and behavior. It is caused by an abnormality in the X chromosome, which then breaks. If a female has Fragile X, her second X chromosome is usually healthy, but males with Fragile X don’t have a second healthy X chromosome. This is why symptoms of Fragile X are usually more serious in males. 1 in 4,000 males
    1 in 8,000 females

    References, Contributions and Attributions

    Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective by Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

    2.1: Heredity by Paris, Ricardo, Raymond, & Johnson is licensed CC BY 4.0.


    This page titled 7.3.2: Chromosomal Disorders is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Heather Carter.

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