How many chromosomes does a special needs person have?
Henry Morales
Published Mar 23, 2026
Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46. But a baby with Down syndrome has an extra chromosome (47 instead of 46) or one chromosome has an extra part. This extra genetic material causes problems with the way their bodies develop.
What disability has an extra chromosome?
People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21. The features of Down syndrome include intellectual disability, slow growth, abnormalities of the face or skull such as upward slanting eyes and a flattened face, and heart conditions.
Does an extra chromosome make you disabled?
It results from a chromosomal abnormality where cells of affected individuals contain a third copy of chromosome 21 (1% of the human genome). Occurring in about one per eight hundred births, Down syndrome — or trisomy 21 — is the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability.
What happens if a baby has an extra chromosome?
A medical term for having an extra copy of a chromosome is ‘trisomy. ‘ Down syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21. This extra copy changes how the baby’s body and brain develop, which can cause both mental and physical challenges for the baby.
What is the rarest chromosomal disorder?
Trisomy 17 mosaicism is a chromosomal abnormality in which there are three copies of chromosome 17 in some cells of the body, rather than the usual two copies. Trisomy 17 mosaicism is one of the rarest trisomies in humans.
What happens if you have 2 extra chromosomes?
Cells with one additional set of chromosomes, for a total of 69 chromosomes, are called triploid . Cells with two additional sets of chromosomes, for a total of 92 chromosomes, are called tetraploid. A condition in which every cell in the body has an extra set of chromosomes is not compatible with life.
Why is an extra chromosome bad?
For example, an extra copy of chromosome 21 causes Down syndrome (trisomy 21). Chromosomal abnormalities can also cause miscarriage, disease, or problems in growth or development. The most common type of chromosomal abnormality is known as aneuploidy, an abnormal chromosome number due to an extra or missing chromosome.
What does having an extra Y chromosome mean?
XYY syndrome is a rare chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of an extra Y chromosome. Normally, males have 46 chromosomes including one X and one Y chromosome. Males with XYY syndrome have 47 chromosomes, two of which are Y chromosomes.
Is Down syndrome caused by egg or sperm?
About 95 percent of the time, Down syndrome is caused by trisomy 21 — the person has three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two copies, in all cells. This is caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the sperm cell or the egg cell.
Can you be born with too many chromosomes?
When a sperm fertilizes an egg, the union leads to a baby with 46 chromosomes. But if meiosis doesn’t happen normally, a baby may have an extra chromosome (trisomy), or have a missing chromosome (monosomy).
Can you look normal and have Down syndrome?
Some of the children with Mosaic Down syndrome that we know do not actually look as if they have Down syndrome – the usual physical features are not obvious. This raises some important and difficult social issues and identity issues for both parents and children, which parents have discussed with us.
What happens when a person has too many chromosomes?
A change in the number of chromosomes can cause problems with growth, development, and function of the body’s systems. These changes can occur during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs and sperm), in early fetal development, or in any cell after birth.
