Extra Chromosomes

What Are the Causes of Low Testosterone in Younger Men?

When the testicles do not produce enough of the male hormone testosterone, the condition is called testosterone deficiency or male hypogonadism. Primary hypogonadism results from a testicular disorder, while secondary hypogonadism involves a...

What Are the Causes of Developmental Delay?

As your child progresses through infancy and becomes a toddler, he should be reaching specific developmental milestones in fine motor skills, language, thinking and social skills. Not every child reaches these milestones at the same rate or pace;...

Conditions of Genetic Diseases

A genetic disorder is a medical condition caused by a mutation in an individual’s genomic makeup. Most genetic disorders are caused by a mutation in the DNA sequence of a single gene, gross breaks in individual chromosomes or the addition of...

5 Things You Need to Know About Causes of Down Syndrome

Down syndrome, a genetic defect that is beyond the control of the parent, occurs when there is an extra copy of the 21st chromosome in all or some of the cells in your body. Chromosomes are structures made from your unique DNA or genetic...

Characteristics of Trisomy 8

Warkany syndrome 2 is a rare genetic disease that is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 8. Humans have two copies of most chromosomes, inheriting one from each parent. However, when a third copy is present, what is called...

Definition of Hermaphrodite

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), "intersex [hermaphrodite] is a group of conditions where there is a discrepancy between the external genitals and the internal genitals [the testes and ovaries.]" Hermaphrodite is derived from...

5 Genetic Diseases

Genetic diseases are medical conditions that are the result of faulty or mutated genetic material. The diseases are impossible to cure at this time because the abnormal DNA is present in all of the cells in the body. Genetic diseases are usually...

Causes of Triple X Syndrome

The U.S. National Library of Medicine's Genetics Home Reference website says Triple X Syndrome, also known as Trisomy X or Trisomy 47, is a genetic condition where females have three X chromosomes instead of two. The European Journal of Human...

Fatal Genetic Diseases

Genetic diseases result from mutations or abnormalities on chromosomes or genes. Some ethnic groups are at higher risk for some genetic diseases than others, but the diseases can occur in any group, according to the Genetic Disease Foundation....

DNA Testing for Genetic Disorders

DNA testing "can provide information for diagnosing, treating and preventing illness," according to the Mayo Clinic. Screenings can help find genetic disorders before the symptoms of the disorder occur, in adults and fetuses. A blood sample is...

Three Common Genetic Diseases

Genetic diseases are caused by abnormalities in the human genome. We get these abnormalities from the genes given to us by our parents. These defects can affect one or many genes or even be at the level of the chromosome. Having noticeable...

Causes of Being Mentally Challenged

When a child is mentally challenged, delays in normal development are experienced. The level of impairment can be mild, with the child having an IQ between 52 and 69. In more severe cases, the IQ can be as low as 20 to 35, according to the "Merck...

Diseases Caused by Genetic Disorders But Not Inherited

A surprising fact about genetics is that there are many syndromes that are termed "genetic," but have not been inherited from a parent. When DNA is passed from one generation to the next, it is copied. Generally, DNA is copied faithfully, however...

Can a Person Be Physically Fit and Still Unhealthy?

Although a person may appear physically fit and trim on the outside, she may be dealing with serious health issues on the inside. Monogenic and multifactorial inheritance disorders such as mental illness, alcoholism, diabetes and heart disease...

Causes of Genetic Diseases in Babies

The whole of a person's DNA, called the genome, consists of components called nucleotide bases. The bases link together to form a series of base pairs, and the sequence of base pairs codes for thousands of genes required for growth and survival....

Causes of Testosterone Deficiency

Testosterone deficiency occurs when blood levels of testosterone, a predominately male sex hormone produced by the testicles, dip below normal. This condition, which is also sometimes referred to as male hypogonadism, can cause symptoms of...

Abnormalities in a Fetus

There are various kinds of abnormalities that can happen to a fetus. Some of them are preventable and some are not. Alcohol and certain drugs can cause abnormalities in various organs that are still developing and can interfere with fetal growth....

3 Ways to Prevent Testicular Cancer

Researchers have yet to identify surefire ways to prevent testicular cancer, so if you're worried you might be at risk, you should discuss your risk factors with a doctor. Though it isn't known why, Caucasian men have higher rates of testicular...

Genetic Diseases in Infants

Infants inherit genetic diseases from parents who are "carriers" of diseases. This occurs because people have two copies of every gene, and many genetic diseases require two abnormal genes to have an effect. People with one mutated gene are called...

Checking for Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer for men ages 15 to 34, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Men at risk include those who have a family history of testicular cancer, a testicle that has not descended from the...

Klinefelter's Disease Symptoms

Klinefelter's disease, also known as Klinefelter's syndrome or XXY male, refers to a common genetic disorder where males have an extra X chromosome (genetic material) in each of their cells. According to the Mayo Clinic, Klinefelter's syndrome can...

Common Genetic Diseases & Chromosomes

There are about 35,000 genes in the nucleus of human body cells. These genes are packaged into 23 pairs of chromosomes, numbered 1 through 22, with the 23rd pair being the sex chromosomes (X and Y). Each of the genes has a specific role in the...

Deformities in the Fetus

After the eighth week of pregnancy, your developing baby is properly called a fetus. By this time, all of the major organs and structures have formed. According to "Your Pregnancy Week by Week," only 3 percent of all babies are born with major...

What Are the Causes of Childhood Leukemia?

Childhood leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells and begins in the bone marrow of the child. White blood cells help the body fight infection. In childhood leukemia, however, the bone marrow begins producing abnormal white blood cells which...

3 Ways to Prevent Klinefelter Syndrome

Klinefelter syndrome is a genetic disorder in which male babies are born with an extra X chromosome. There is no way to prevent the genetic abnormality from occurring, but awareness, early diagnosis and early treatment can help prevent some of the...

4 Ways to Identify Klinefelter Syndrome

Klinefelter syndrome is a genetic disorder that only affects males. It causes several distinctive physical characteristics in sufferers that can be used to identify the presence of the disorder. These characteristics arise from a lack of...

Language Characteristics of Children with Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that occurs before birth. People who have Down syndrome have an extra chromosome 21, which causes mental retardation and sometimes other medical conditions, including hearing loss. The mental retardation...

Genetic Diseases of the Reproductive System

Many genetic disorders are associated with reproductive problems. Genetic disorders are caused by spontaneous gene mutations or by inherited genes. Inherited genes can be recessive--which means that both parents must pass on the gene for a child...