What kind of chromosomal abnormalities can occur?
As our cells divide and replicate, our genetic material also replicates and divides. Sometimes mistakes happen when cells divide, causing a person’s cells to end up either with the wrong number of chromosomes or with damaged chromosomes. When a person’s cells have the wrong number of chromosomes — either too many or too few — it is called aneuploidy. Trisomy occurs when a person’s cells have an extra copy of a particular chromosome. Monosomy occurs when a person’s cells are missing a copy of a particular chromosome. These abnormalities are more likely to occur in women older than 35 because their eggs are older and more likely to contain the wrong number of chromosomes after undergoing division. Even if you’re born with the correct number of chromosomes, your chromosomes may contain genetic mutations if there is a change in your chromosome’s structure or if small portions of a specific chromosome are deleted. Breakage can cause these changes in the structure of the chromosome. Someti
