Turner Syndrome By Caleb Porter
Most people are born with two sex chromosomes. A boy inherits the X chromosome from his mother and the Y chromosome from his father. A girl inherits one X chromosome from each parent. If a girl has Turner syndrome, one copy of the X chromosome is missing or significantly changed.
The genetic alterations of Turner Syndrome may include one of the following:
-Monosomy: The complete absence of an X chromosome generally occurs because of an error in the father's sperm or in the mother's egg. This results in every cell in the body having only one X chromosome.
-Mosaicism: In some cases, an error occurs in cell division during early stages of fetal development. This results in some cells in the body having two complete copies of the X chromosome. Other cells have only one copy of the X chromosome, or they have one complete and one altered copy.
-Y- chromosome Material: In a small percentage of Turner syndrome cases, some cells have one copy of the X chromosome and other cells have one copy of the X chromosome and some Y chromosome material. These individuals develop biologically as girls, but the presence of Y chromosome material increases the risk of developing a type of cancer called gonadoblastoma.
Although Turner syndrome cannot be cured, it can be helped with medication. Medications used to combat this disease are: Hormone therapy, and prescriptions such as Estradiol by mouth or absorbed through the skin and Growth Hormone Injections. Women with Turner Syndrome who wish to become pregnant may require fertility treatment.
Interesting Facts:
People with Turner syndrome have an abnormally short stature—the average height of a person with TS is 4 ft 8 in.
Works cited:
"Turner Syndrome." Causes. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
"Turner Syndrome Facts and Tips." EndocrineWeb. EndocrineWeb, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.