1. Explain what is a trisomy and give an example of a syndrome.
2. Explain what is a genetic disorder and explain why if it is a dominant or a recessive gene will affect the outcome of the disease.
3. Is consumption of alcohol good during pregnancy? Pregnant females in Europe may drink a glass of wine; but in the United States drinking alcohol is greatly discouraged. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and during which period of prenatal development would drinking alcohol be less dangerous for the baby?
4. Is the consumption of drugs during the embryonic stage and during the fetal stage equally likely to damage the central nervous system in the fetus?

ANSWER

Genetics, Human Reproduction, and Birth

1. Explain what is a trisomy and give an example of a syndrome

Trisomy is a genetic condition used to describe the presence of an extra or abnormal number of chromosomes, usually three pairs instead of the convention two pairs. Normally, healthy individuals have single chromosomes pairs of X and Y; however, in rare cases, people are born with extra chromosomes, resulting in trisomy. An example of a syndrome associated with a trisomy is Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21 (Jennings, Willis, & Thalange, 2020). Down syndrome is defined as a genetic or chromosomal condition occurring in the abnormal cell division that results in extra 21st chromosomes. Mostly, children born with Down syndrome have three copies of chromosomes 21.

2. Explain what a genetic disorder is and explain why if it is a dominant or a recessive gene will affect the outcome of the disease.

A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by genome abnormalities such as changes or mutation in an individual’s DNA sequence, hence altering the protein production in that gene. Healthy and normal human beings have 46 chromosomes, whereby 2 chromosomes (X and Y) determine sex and 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes. Each chromosome possesses DNA strands and sections in the DNA called genes. The genes are essential as they carry information crucial in making proteins (Jennings, Willis, & Thalange, 2020). Each pair of the autosomal chromosomes comes from each parent, in case an abnormality of one gene occurs and the other is normal, the abnormal gene becomes recessive. In this case, disease outcome is minimal; however, if that one abnormal gene is needed to produce any disease, then a dominant hereditary disorder may develop. If both abnormal gene copies are present, diseases develop.

3. Is the consumption of alcohol good during pregnancy? Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and during which period of prenatal development would alcohol drinking be less dangerous for the baby. 

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is dangerous, whether at the beginning or the end, as it causes development problems of the baby throughout the pregnancy. Hence, at whatever stage of prenatal development, I cannot entirely agree with alcohol consumption. This is because alcohol consumption in the first three months can affect the growth of the baby, resulting in abnormal facial features, central nervous system problems, and overall growth such as low weight birth or even behavioral issues. Prenatal exposure to alcohol exposes the child to lifelong brain disabling and cognition adverse effects (SexInfo, 2017).

4. Is the consumption of drugs during the embryonic stage and during the fetal stage equally likely to damage the central nervous system in the fetus?

Drug and substance use during embryonic and fetal stages have adverse effects on the fetus’ central nervous system. This is because drug exposure within the 4th and 8th weeks after conception results in increased spontaneous abortion risks and physical deformations. Moreover, after the 8th week, drug exposure is associated with more adverse effects than the embryonic stage as the fetus’s development is increased. Significant effects include neurological damage, prematurity, and retarded growth (SexInfo, 2017).

References

Jennings, B., Willis, G., & Thalange, N. (2020). Genetics in Medicine. London: Oxford University Press.

SexInfo. (2017, June 4). Effects of Drugs Taken During Pregnancy. Retrieved from https://sexinfo.soc.ucsb.edu/article/effects-drugs-taken-during-pregnancy