Downs Syndrome

[Brent Gilbert]

In <4fa733$mgn at mserv1.dl.ac.uk> "Martin Kucej"  <KUCEJ at fns.uniba.sk> writes:

>7 Feb 1996 02:21:21 GMT Tom Worcester <tomfish at teleport.com> wrote:

>> Does anyone know if people w/ Downs Syndrome are sterile? In theory they
>> should be able to have children and there is a chance that the child
>> would be normal.
>>
>> Thanks for the help.

>I guess that people with Down's syndrome are fertile, at least they
>are able to form normal gametes (with one chromosome 21). But their
>psychological development is strongly retarded and ceases at level of
>about six-yeared children. Therefore from this point of view it is
>a little possibility they could have children.


Actually, I believe they are sterile. Chromosome 21 still plays some role in
the development of the genitalia. Furthermore, half of the sperm cells would
have 2 #21 chromosomes and half would have one. (During disjuction at
meiosis the three chromosomes would probably split this way).
-- 
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Brent Gilbert					"If you choose not to decide			
e-mail: bg005d at uhura.cc.rochester.edu            you still have made a choice"
								-Neil Peart