Chromosome Abnormalities

Chromosomal abnormalities can be divided into: numerical and structural. They can be inherited from a parent (such as a translocation) or be "de novo" (new to the individual).

Chromosomal abnormalities can be associated with a syndrome. A syndrome involves more organs or features – a complex of symptoms. A syndrome can be sporadic, often with no known cause, or it can be caused by a gene mutation or a chromosomal abnormality. The most common chromosomal syndromes are Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Turner syndrome (45,X) and Klinefelter syndrome(47,XXY).