Down's Syndrome, it is one of the most frequently occurring chromosomal abnormalities found in humans effecting people of all ages, races and economic levels. It is a chromosomal anomaly in cell development that results in a person being born with forty-seven chromosomes instead of the normal forty-six chromosomes. People with Down syndrome may have mild to severe learning disabilities and physical symptoms, which include a small skull, extra folds of skin under the eyes, and a protruding tongue. Roughly one out of every one thousand children born making it the most common genetic disorder. Down syndrome affects over 350,000 people, in the United States alone. Down syndrome has plagued the human race since the beginning of time. For centuries, people with Down syndrome have been depicted in art, literature and science as outcasts and rejects of society. It wasn't until the late 19th century, however, that John Langdon Down, an English physician, published an accurate description of a person with Down syndrome. It was this publication in 1866, which earned Down the recognition as the "father" of the syndrome. Although other people had previously recognized the characteristics of the syndrome, it was Down who described the condition as a distinct and separate entity. Throughout the 20th century, advances in medicine and science enabled researchers to investigate the characteristics of people with Down syndrome. In 1959, the French physician, Jerome Lejeune, identified Down syndrome as a chromosomal anomaly. Instead of the usual 46 chromosomes present in each cell, Lejeune observed 47 in the cells of individuals with Down syndrome. It was later determined that an extra partial or complete 21st chromosome results in the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. Down syndrome, being a genetic disorder, begins to develop at the cellular level after conception. The human body is made of cells. All of these cells contain...
