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Abnormal presence of three copies of a particular chromosome From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A trisomy is a type of polysomy in which there are three instances of a particular chromosome, instead of the normal two.[1] A trisomy is a type of aneuploidy (an abnormal number of chromosomes).
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2012) |
| Trisomy | |
|---|---|
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| Example of trisomy 21 detected via qPCR short tandem repeat analysis | |
| Specialty | Medical genetics |
Most organisms that reproduce sexually have pairs of chromosomes in each cell, with one of each type of chromosome inherited from each parent. In such organisms, meiosis creates gamete cells (eggs or sperm) having only one set of chromosomes. The number of chromosomes is different for different species, with humans having 46 chromosomes (23 pairs) and human gametes 23 chromosomes.
If the chromosome pairs fail to separate properly during cell division, the egg or sperm may end up with a second copy of one of the chromosomes (non-disjunction). If such a gamete is fertilized with a normal gamete, the resulting embryo may have a total of three copies of the chromosome.
The number of chromosomes in the cell where trisomy occurs is represented as, for example, 2n+1 if one chromosome shows trisomy, 2n+1+1 if two show trisomy, etc.[2]
Trisomies are sometimes characterised as "autosomal trisomies" (trisomies of the non-sex chromosomes) and "sex-chromosome trisomies." Autosomal trisomies are described by referencing the specific chromosome that has an extra copy.[citation needed] Thus, for example, the presence of an extra chromosome 21, which is found in Down syndrome, is called trisomy 21.
Trisomies can occur with any chromosome, but often result in miscarriage rather than live birth. For example, Trisomy 16 is most common in human pregnancies, occurring in more than 1%, but the only surviving embryos are those having some normal cells in addition to the trisomic cells (mosaic trisomy 16).[3] Furthermore, even these embryos usually suffer spontaneous miscarriage in the first trimester.
The most common types of human autosomal (non-sex chromosome) trisomy that survive to birth are:
Of these, Trisomy 21 and Trisomy 18 are the most common. In rare cases, a fetus with Trisomy 13 can survive, giving rise to Patau syndrome. Autosomal trisomy can be associated with birth defects, intellectual disability and shortened life.
Trisomy of sex chromosomes can also occur and include:[4]
Compared to trisomy of the autosomal chromosomes, trisomy of the sex chromosomes normally has less severe consequences. Individuals may show few or no symptoms and have a normal life expectancy.[4]
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