What Is Edwards Syndrome?

By james

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Our genes contain much of the information that helps to determine who we are. Pretty much everything else is determined by our experiences and the environment we are bought up in. Our genes are passed down from each of our parents, and things can sometimes go wrong as they are being passed down.

Our genetic information is carried in or chromosomes. In a rare number of cases, errors in the processes mean that some people have abnormalities in regard to these chromosomes. This can result in some very unwelcome symptoms, and can be a very real threat to the patient’s life. One such example is Edwards syndrome.

1. Trisomy

Each of our cells has a pair of chromosomes, with one passed down from each parent by their sperm and eggs. Sperm and eggs, technically known as gametes, are created by a process known as meiosis. The process does not always go smoothly, however, and some sperm and egg cells will end up with two copies of a chromosome instead of one.

This leaves the gametes with 3 chromosomes in total: two copies of one, and one copy of another. If either these gametes are then involved in fertilization, the embryo will also have an extra chromosome. The process can result in cells that have incomplete or complete extra chromosomes, and it can also be a different chromosome involved.