Natural Selection and Antibiotic Resistance

By #10

Natural selection is the process in witch by nature organisms gain or lose traits over many generations in order to survive in an environment while other organisms die off because their lack of the important traits that are crucial for survival. Bacteria have been around for billions of years. Various strains killed people during the first part of the twentieth century up until antibiotics started to be used and lives were saved. Could natural selection be responsible for the bacteria adapting to this harsher environment making them resistant to antibiotics?

Antibiotics have been a great way for humans to get over that harsh infection and diseases but they are now used in everyday products like hand sanitizer and cleaning products. This overuse of antibiotics contributes to the natural selection of bacteria, killing the weak bacteria but leaving the strongest bacteria to live and produce offspring. Unlike humans, bacteria can evolve much quicker because of a shorter lifespan and because they are able to reproduce every 20 minutes allowing it to gain traits much quicker to survive. That’s where the term “super bug” comes in, the stronger bacteria get the less the antibiotics work to fight it off and bacteria become immune to antibiotics.

One of these “super bugs” that is immune to many antibiotics is MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). More commonly known as the Staph infection, MRSA is a bacterium responsible for deadly infections and is difficult to treat because of its resistance to beta-lactams, a group of antibiotics including penicillins, and Cephalosporins. In Canada 2,300 people died and in the US 18,00 people die annually because of this deadly infection. MRSA is commonly found in athletes, soldiers and prisoners but can also be spread through hospitals. In a case in Texas a high school football player was paralyzed because of his Staph infected turf burns and required 3 surgeries to remove all the infected tissue.

To prevent these new bacteria from spreading and becoming stronger we should always wash are hands with soap and water not antibiotic hand lotions and only use antibiotics when prescribed by a doctor. If you are given antibiotics from a doctor you should follow her/his directions exactly. Prematurely stopping a dose of antibiotics can lead to the bacteria becoming stronger and possibly resistant to antibiotics setting you up for a difficult, perhaps deadly illness.

As people continue to use antibiotics we are forcing natural selection onto bacteria causing antibiotic resistance. In the future new medicines will need to be made to fight these new stronger bacteria… if time doesn’t run out.


References

BrainPop, BP. (Producer). (1999-2010). Antibiotic resistance. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/antibioticresistance/


Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. (2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved (2010, March 29) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methicillin-resistant_Staphylococcus_aureus

Antibiotic resistance. (2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved (2010, March 29) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibiotic_resistance

Antibiotic. (2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved (2010, March 29) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibiotic#History_of_antibiotics

Science Notes, SN. (2008). Mrsa infections killed 2300 canadians in 2006. Retrieved from http://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/mrsa-infections-killed-2300-canadians-in-2006/

#3

“I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term Natural Selection.” This is a quote by Charles Darwin. He is a man whose theories are known by many people.

Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury England, to a Mr. and Mrs. Robert Darwin. Charles started his young life following in his father’s footsteps going to school to study medicine. In 1828 he decided he was not happy with his studies of medicine, so he tried something else a little different. He transferred to Cambridge to take part in training for ministry. While training for ministry Charles Darwin had become friends with a biology professor and took quite an interest in zoology and geology.

He was invited to travel on the H.M.S. beagle and do some research and learn about geology. When on this trip Charles went to the Galopagos Islands. In the islands he collected thirteen types on different finches with similar characteristics. The similarities of the different type of finches led Charles to believe that all the finches came from one common ancestor. On his trip he also studied plants and animals. At every location he had visited, he collected and specimen that he could find for this his further studies when he got back to England.

Darwin had several theories about evolution. He was positive that evolution did occur. His first theory is the slowly but surely theory, which stated that the change of evolution was a slow and gradual process. His second theory is called the premise theory. This theory stated that most of the species we have on the planet today all descended from one common. The theory that had made Charles Darwin famous, the theory that is known by many people is called natural selection. Natural selection theory states that a species trait that increases that particular species chance of surviving will be inherited and favoured over any other trait. These changing traits occurs by mutation is the species gene for that trait. The animals that do not have the inherited trait that will help their chances of surviving, they will eventually become extinct.

It is said that on his deathbed, Charles Darwin recanted everything he had said about evolution. All we know is that he changed the way people feel about history, and evolution.

References:
(January 4, 2010). Lucidcafe: Library, Charles Darwin. http://www2.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/library/96feb/darwin.html

Peter Landry. (May 1998). Biographies, Charles Darwin. http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Science/Darwin.htm

Natural Selection. http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Natural_selection

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. http://bioweb.cs.earlham.edu/9-12/evolution/HTML/theory.html

Genetic Disorder: Cri Du Chat Syndrome

Cri du chat syndrome is a genetic disorder, also known as 5p- (5p minus) syndrome. This is a very rare disorder 1 in 20,000 to 50,000 newborns are diagnosed with this disorder. It doesn’t matter what ethnic background you are, you could still get this syndrome. It can affect a person both physically and mentally. Most cases of cri du chat syndrome is not inherited from either parent.

One of the main signs of cri du chat syndrome is for the children to have a high- pitched cry that sounds like a cat’s cry. This disorder is harder to diagnose after the age of two, because the cry becomes less noticeable as they get older. Some of the symptoms of cri du chat are small head, round face, a small chin, widely set eyes, fold of skin over their eyes, and a small bridged nose. They may have several problems occurring inside their body , for example heart defects , have difficulty walking and talking, muscular and skeletal problems, and hearing and sight problems.

The genetic changes for cri du chat syndrome are caused by the arm in chromosome 5 to be shorter on the one side than the other side. In most cases, it is caused by the chromosome break which occurs while the egg or sperm cell is developing. In 80% of the cases, the chromosome carrying the deletion comes from the father’s sperm, rather than the mother’s egg. People with this disorder typically have no history of the disorder in their family. In fact, the break is usually a very rare event that it is unlikely to happen again, if the parents have another child.

Doctors do try to treatcri du chat syndrome.Although there is no real treatment for cri du chat syndrome, children with the disorder can go through therapy to improve their language skills, motor skills, and this will help them to develop as normal as possible. The geneticist that identified cri du chat syndrome 1963 also discovered the genetic abnormality that causes Down syndrome. The name of this geneticist Jerome Lejeune.

This is just some of the information you can find on Cri Du Chat syndrome or also known as 5p- syndrome. If you want more information look at my references.

Learn Genetic
Genetic Science Learning Center
The University of Utah (March 14, 2010)
Cri Du Chat Syndrome information
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/disorders/whataregd/edu/

genetics Home Reference. (2010). Cri Du Chat Syndrome information. Retreved from
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=criduchatsyndrome

Who is Jean-Baptiste Lamarck?

#17
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck was born on August 4, 1774 in Picardy, France to a military family. He was the youngest of 11 children. Many of his brothers as well as his father were soldiers. Lamarck too became a soldier for some time. Lamarck wrote many books, but his works did not become famous until after his death. His life was a constant struggle against poverty. He began to lose his eyesight in 1818, but was devotedly cared for by his daughters, given to him from his 4 marriages. When he died on December 28, 1829, he was given the funeral of a poor man. He was buried in a rented grave, and he was removed 5 years later. No one knows where his remains are.

Lamarck quickly became a major naturalist of the 19th century. In 1801 he began to publish his theories on evolution. He had two main theories: the environment gives rise to changes in animals; life was structured in an orderly manner and that many different parts of all bodies make it possible for the organic movements of animals. His theories were generally rejected during his lifetime, and it’s not until later that people began to realize the importance and significance of Jean’s theories.

While the idea was not highly thought of during Lamarck’s time, the idea of passing on characteristics to offspring that were acquired during an organism’s lifetime is now called Lamarkian, named after Jean-Baptiste Lamarck himself. Lamarck brought on the beginning thoughts of evolution, and while he gets credited for that, it was guys like August Weismann and Charles Darwin who brought the theory of evolution to us as it is today.

References
http://www.answers.com/topic/jean-baptiste-lamarck
http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Lamarck_Jean_Baptiste.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/lamarck.html
http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/jean-baptiste-lamarck/

Benifits of selective breeding and artificial selction in agriculture

#19
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for a particualar trait.
The advantages of selective breeding is that it can produce fitter, healthier, and stronger andimals. It can also help produce animals that have higher yield of milke, produce more eggs, and have a higher quality of meat. Therefore, it rules out the disabilty of weakness and illness's. Another advantage is that the breeder gets to choose which animal fits their critera and work from there.
However, there are also some disadvantages aswell. Such as getting rid of the variety because the animals would be just like the one it was breeded to be like. In this source of breeding there's never a surprise, the breeder already knows what the animals will look like when they start to breed. Selective breeding can also cause genetic disorders such as imbred depression.

References

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Advantages_and_disadvantages_of_selective_breeding

http://scienceray.com/biology/selective-breeding/

Who was Jean-Baptiste Lamark?

Written by #18

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, often known as “Lamarck”, was French man of many talents. He was a soldier, naturalist, academic and an early believer in the idea of evolution. He was born in Bazentin, Picardie, northern France and was the youngest in his family of eleven children. Lamarck started out his life by serving in the French army. He was known to be very physically courageous on the battlefield and was awarded many times for his great bravery. After being injured in the army in 1766 he retired and started to focus on medical studies.

After shortly studying in the medical area, Lamarck became very interested in plant life. He published a three-volume work Flora française (Flora of Fance) and gained membership of the French Academy of Sciences in 1779. His great expressions of knowledge in plant life lead Lamarck to be appointed as a professor of zoology in 1793. Through publishing many successful works, he became one of the first to use the term biology in modern sense.

In 1801, Lamarck began to develop details of his evolutionary theories. “Lamarckism” is often used to refer to the theory that stated traits can be inherited. He believed that a change in the environment causes changes in the needs and behavior of organisms living in that environment. He also believed that when an organism’s behavior alters they are caused to have greater or lesser use of a given structure or organ. Greater use of a structure would cause it to increase in size over several generations, while lesser use would cause it to shrink or even disappear. Lamarck called this belief the “First Law”. His “Second Law” stated that all such changes were heritable. These laws helped explain the continuous, gradual change of all organisms.

Today, Lamarck is remembered to be one of the most important developers for the theory of inheritance of acquired characters, also known as Lamarckism. His broad work on evolution greatly assisted the formulation of Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Lamarck is also known for his great contribution to the evolutionary theory and for his beliefs on the effects that the environment has on organisms.


References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Lamarck
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/lamarck.html
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/klmno/lemarck_jean.html

Documentary Response - Mr. Kennedy

Hello Everyone,

What you are required to do for this portion is to post a comment about the following topic. This response should be roughly two paragraphs in length (please do not write a full essay). Remember, your comment will not be published until I moderate it. This assignment will be considered late if your comment is submitted later than 8am on Monday, March 22.

Nature vs. Nurture

For years, people have been debating whether it is nature or nurture that causes humans to develop into the people we are. Is it our genes (nature)? Or is it the environment and experiences we are exposed to (nurture)?
Think about the David Suzuki documentary "The Downside of High," and give your opinion on the nature vs. nurture debate. In this video we learned about how smoking marijuana can increase the risk, for individuals with specific genes, of developing schizophrenia. Do you think people develop mainly because of nature, nurture, or a combination there of? You should also make connections to other genetic traits or environmental impacts that can change the way we are. As well, make at least one connection to yourself.

Happy March Break!

Pros and Cons of Genetic Screening

Number 16

Genetic screening is one of the newest and most sophisticated of methods used for testing genetic disorders. It involves direct examination of the DNA molecule. Genetic screening is used for many reasons such as carrier screening, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, prenatal diagnostic testing, newborn screening, presymptomatic testing, conformational diagnosis, and forensic/identity testing. One positive effect of Genetic screening is that it allows genetic diagnosis of vulnerabilities inherit diseases it also can tell a child's genetic father and even discover a person's ancestry. In prenatal testing a diagnosis can be made on a fetus that will allow plenty of time for decision to be made about a treatment. Another positive result of genetic screening is that it can help predetermine the carrier status of couples that are planning parenthood. With information from the genetic tests couples can decide if the risks of having a child outweigh the advantages. Negative outcomes of genetic testing can physical but is usually emotional or financial. A small but serious negative outcome is in prenatal testing because it carries a small but real risk of losing the pregnancy because they require a sample of amniotic fluid or tissue from around the fetus. A negative emotional response could be shock, or depression at the results of a test. Another con is that the testing will not show us the severity of the problem. Genetic screening is also a very expensive process and may not be affordable to all people.

Obesity and Genetics

Written by #10

Obesity in North America is a huge problem making people deal with sickness like heart disease and diabetes. In Canada alone experts say that rates of obesity in teens is 10- 25% and 20- 50% in adults. Most of the blame for this huge problem is put on the environment we live in today. With high fat food readily available whenever you want it in fast food restaurants or the grocery store. But can some of this blame be shifted to our genetics?

Scientists have proven this theory of the effect of genetics on obesity through studies on separately raised twins. This is a good indication as to who has the genes linked to obesity because the genes of twins are virtually the same and the difference in the environments takes environmental impact out of the mix. These studies indicated that genetic factors contributed to 40 percent of obesity in twins. This means that both twins contained the genes that contribute to obesity.

Research was also conducted on genetically engineered mice to identify what exact gene causes obesity. In 1997 researchers identified a gene UCP2 that increases calories burned off. When the malfunctioning it increases the rate of obesity as fewer calories are burned off.

LEP or Leptin, a protein was identified as an obesity gene product. Leptin works with a section of the brain that controls and regulates body functions called the hypothalamus. If a quantity of Leptin is made the hypothalamus reacts by reducing appetite and accelerating the body’s metabolism. This keeps your body slim. If this obesity gene is defective however and the amount of Leptin is less the hypothalamus would keep signaling for more food continually, resulting in obesity.

Other genes PCSK1, LEPR, POMC and MC4R and 200 others have been associated with obesity. In mankind’s history humans survived in times of famine and times of plenty and our genes adapted. Today in Canada with lots of high calorie laden food available these adaptations sometimes fail us.

Although genes are a factor in obesity not all the blame can be put on them. Obesity is jointly caused by the environment we live in with our high fat diets, lack of exercise, poor nutrition as well as defective obesity genes.

References

Wrong Diagnosis, W.D. (2010, March 1 ). Obesity: genetics information. Retrieved from http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/o/obesity/inherit.htm

Thomson, G.T. (2005). Obesity, genetic factors. Retrieved from http://www.bookrags.com/research/obesity-genetic-factors-wog/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, C.D.C. (2009, July 21). Obesity and genomics. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/resources/diseases/obesity/index.htm

Maknet Corporation., O.C. (2000, June 26). Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.obesitycanada.com/

The Scoop on Stem Cell Research

Written by #13

Stem cells are cells found in multicellular organisms and they have the potential to regenerate new tissue over a person’s life span. Stem cells are harvested and then made into different cells like nerve cells or blood cells. There are a few kinds of stem cells but the two main types are embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can be made into 220 different types of cells found in the human body including brain cells, blood cells and nerve cells. They are harvested from human embryos and it causes the embryo to die. Adult stem cells are found in adult tissue and they are used to repair the body’s different cells. Sometimes they can be taken from the person who will be receiving them and in this case the person doesn’t have to fear the risk of rejection.

The pros of stem cell research are infinite. They are currently used for bone marrow transplants and that is the only thing that stem cell use has been approved for so far. In the near future, stem cells could be used for disease and conditions such as stroke, baldness, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, cancer and even missing teeth.

There seems to be only one major con to stem cell research and it is based on ethical principals. It is debatable as to whether embryonic stem cell research is killing human life. People who argue on the pro-life side believe that since the embryo has the potential to be a human and it has all of the DNA needed to be a human, that it is a human and using it for researching that cause it to die is unethical and murder. Their point of view is that it is wrong to kill one life to save another. On the contrary many people believe that it is just information and since it is not in human form it is not a human. It is only being used to better society and save other peoples lives.

Ethics is the biggest setback when it comes to embryonic stem cell research. It is considered by some people to be a sin to kill a living person and it is debated in the case of embryonic stem cells whether the embryo is considered to be a living human being yet. The point at which a person is considered a human being is greatly debated. One point of view is to look at what the Bible has to say. Jeremiah 1:4-5a says, “The word of God came to me, saying “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” Other people believe that you are not a human being until after you are born. Adult stem cell research is not as great a cause for debate since a person or a potential life is not being killed.

No matter what your opinion on this subject is, it is clear that stem cell research has great potential but only if it is considered ethical. Personally, I believe that a person is considered a person at conception and I believe that killing an embryo is unethical. Another thing that scares many people is that stem cell research may lead to human clones.



Scolari S. WiseGeek What are Stem Cells? 2010-03-07 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-stem-cell-research.htm


Robinson B.A. Morality; controversial topics Stem cell research: All viewpoints
2010-03-07 http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem.htm


Wikipedia Stem Cell 2010-03-07 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell


Got Question Ministries What should a Christian’s view be on stem cell research
2010-03-07 http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-stem-cell-research.html

#15

A common relationship between genetics and cancer is hereditary cancer. This is when a parent gives their child a gene that increases their chances of getting cancer. This doesn't mean they will ever get it but it does mate it much more likely. Whether you get it or not also depends on things like, family history, your diet, exposure to certain viruses and exposure to some chemicals.

The most common types of hereditary cancer people get are, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. Five to ten percent of all diagnosed cancer is in some way from being passed down through genetics.

If you get cancer and its not because of genes passed down from your parents its because your body has been exposed to things that your body trys to repair and along the way the genes get mutated causing them to multiply rapidly and grow into tumors. Tumors can be removed and radiation applied to the mutated area to try to kill the cancer but there is never a guarantee that it wont come back or that the treatment will even be able to kill the cancer. Sometimes people can get cancer that isn't actually going to do them any harm either. This is called benign and wont do you any harm. Then there is malignant cancer which is the one that can kill you and either one can be hereditary.

Pros, Cons and Ethics of Stem Cell Research

#14

Stem cell research, is it good or bad? Most of all, what is stem cell research? Stem cell research is a method used by scientist for obtaining and developing stem cells for a long period of time. Stem cells have the ability to replicate its exact copy which allows it to fabricate cells for certain tissues in the body. Three types of stem cells we research are:

Embryonic Stem cells, which come from either an aborted child, or left over fertilized eggs from a process called invitro fertilization. (Invitro Fertilization: a process where the egg of a female is fertilized by the sperm of a male in a laboratory procedure)These cells are considered more useful because they can produce cells for almost every tissue in the body.

Adult stem cells are not as useful compared to embryonic stem cells, but are still used. These cells are not as common in research because they are particular to the cell types.

Umbilical cord stem cells are taken from a pregnant woman and also provide the greatest source.

The ethical issues when discussing stem cell research are basically focused on the use of embryonic cells. This is because many different people have different opinions on when a human begins to exist. Is it the moment the egg is fertilized? Or is it when the early embryo begins to form functioning membranes (usually takes 16 day after fertilization)?

Some pros when concerning stem cell research are:

-organs can be grown in a lab and used for implants opposed to having a person lose an organ.

-the raw material provided through stem cell research, we would be better able to help discover a cure or heal an illness such as diabetes, some types of cancer, and heart disease.

-gives us the ability to test many medicines and drugs with out testing animals or using human testers.

The only main con when concerning stem cell research is:

-when dealing with embryonic stem cells, many who value life from conception believe it is taking a life.

Either way there are many opinions that are formed and protested. Although there are many pros and only one con, I believe that the con over weighs the pros when dealing with embryonic stem cells, but I also believe that the other two types of stem cell research are a good way to help the medical field and their research.

References:

www.experiment-resources.com

www.bootstrike.com

www.healthscout.com

How Species Could Benefit From Human Intervention

Human intervention can be considered anything from picking a flower to logging a forest. There are several things that we has humans do the can greatly impact the entire ecosystem of the earth. The sad thing is that most these things we do have a negative impact on the earth and its species. However, there is one main problem, among many others, that can actually help save many endangered species. This topic is the dangerous issue known as climate change.

Climate change has been an issue for a long time, but has just now have humans become globally aware of the dangers we face due to “the greenhouse effect”. Rising temperatures are causing glaciers and icecaps to melt and is responsible for climate change around the world. As bad as this may sound, it can actually help benefit many of the species around the world.

Due to the awareness level of global warming, people have become more concerned about nature than ever before. As a result of out knowledge and fear of the future, people around the world are doing what they can to mend the mistake we have made. We have reduced garbage and electricity usage creating less pollution and more habitats. We have made several successful efforts to restore the nature living spaces of many endangered animals such as the tiger. As a result of the problem people are making the world a better place to live for several animals that may not have otherwise had another chance. The global scare of climate change has brought people together for the better.

Many pessimists will say there is nothing we can do about climate change and it is already too late, but realistically that is not true. Many groups and organizations are coming together and creating action plans to save anything from bacteria to mammals. The reason: we need diversity for healthy ecosystems. One of these main efforts includes the prevention of forest destruction. Approximately 20 percent of the earth greenhouse gases come from de-forestation. As a result, green house gasses are emitted while habitats and plants crucial to our source of oxygen are destroyed. Human intervention is not always negative actions, but can be positive in the sense that humans help reduce the destruction caused by others. Thanks to these types of people species and forests are saved and the dominant species (human) must wait another day to collect their resources.

Mittermeier, R. (2007, October 7). Climate focus 'good news for species'. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7656782.stm

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is the insertion of genes into an individual's cells and tissues to treat a disease. A set of chromosomes that contain the genes that code for our personality, appearance, and long term-health are given to us at birth. When there is a mutation or flaw in the DNA structure from one of the genes it can lead to a disease. Some diseases are related to genetic inheritance (diabetes, sickle cell anemia, and some cancers). Gene therapy can eliminate these diseases before they show their first symptoms. Some say that with gene therapy we are playing god when we change our genetic code.
The pros of gene therapy are that: - It can wipe out genetic diseases before they can begin and eliminate suffering for future generations.
- It can provided data and information on diseases that have not been researched yet.
- It can be used as medicine for the future generations (since it can eliminate hereditary diseases) .
The cons of gene therapy are that: - The cost of gene therapy is high and could be a concern for families that do not have health care and are in need of a lifelong treatment.
- Any miscalculations in finding the precise location of the defected gene could cause a risk of a new disease such as cancer to form.
- Invasion of privacy could cause discrimination to families with genetic diseases.
- Could make employers question a person’s genetic background, in a result passing them up on a job.
- In the future gene therapy could become available on the black market.
The ethics of gene therapy is that we have the ability to control the
direction and movement of our species. People are concerned of possible health risks to the public eye and possible environmental affects.
In conclusion, it is clear gene therapy will have an affect on the future of genetics.
With careful planning and regulation gene therapy will become the "medicine" of the future. I think that gene therapy is a good solution because it eliminates diseases and allowing people to be healthy but when you play god there are bent to be some mistakes down the road of that future generation.

#12

References

Amy Marie Fleck (1998) A New Future: Gene Therapy http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~mcclean/plsc431/students98/fleck.htm

Emilie R. Bergeson (1997) The Ethics of Gene Therapy
http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~mcclean/plsc431/students/bergeson.htm

Genetic Disorder: Down Syndrome

#11


The genetic disorder Down Syndrome (DS) is a condition which delays a child's development both mentally and physically. This condition is rare, yet not, as it affects every 1 in 800 babies. Some children with DS are both very sick and need alot of attention and medical care, where others can live healthy lives.

Are parents to blame for their child's defect? This question can haunt parents all over the world. The answer is no. DS can not be prevented, although it can be detected before a child is even born. A child can be treated with DS medically, and there are also many community help programs and centres to help families with children bearing this disorder.

Some might ask, what is ultimately the cause of Down Syndrome? Normally, when a child is concepted, it inherits both genetic material from the mother and the father. The normal child will inherit a total of 46 chromosomes; 23 from the mother, and 23 from the father. But for some reason, a child with down syndrome will inherit an extra chromosome giving that child a total of 47 chromosomes. The physical appearance and developmental delays are caused by this extra chromosome.

There is no possible ways of controlling the genetic make up of a baby. Scientists have discovered that women over 35 do have a higher risk of having a child with down syndrome. Here are the age and risk factors of having a child with DS:
Age 30 - 1 in 900 chance
Age 35 - 1 in 350 chance
Age 40 - 1 in 100 chance

The physical features of children with down syndrome include upward slant to the eyes, flat facial profiles, protruding tongues, and small ears. Hypotonia (Low muscle tone) is a characteristic in babies that make them seem "floppy". This usually improves over time, but sitting up, crawling, and walking, takes longer to accomplish from children with DS. For infants, DS may cause feeding problems and digestive complications. Older kids and toddlers may have troubles in speech and self-care skills like feeding, dressing, and potty training. DS children also have different learning standards. It may take them alot longer to learn something and have to be persistant with the same thing over and over.

Children with DS are also born with different medical problems. Almost half of all children born with down syndrome will have a congenital heart defect. DS children are also at risk of developing pulmonary hypertension, (a serious condition that can lead to irreversible damage to the lungs). Also, approximately half of the children have hearing and sight problems. They also suffer from thyroid problems, seizures, respiratory problems, obesity, and are at a higher risk of getting childhood leukemia.

This disorder is found all over the world. It is a very challenging problem we must deal with and help to find a solution to. Although people with Down Syndrome are different, they are still people and have feelings just like everyone else. Treating people the way you want to be treated, is always the best option.