Down Syndrome
Perspectives on Parenting©
by Nancy Lambert Davenport
Nancy Davenport's Column:
For Richardson News 07-09-00
Copyright Nancy Lambert Davenport 2000
"Human genome mysteries yet to be resolved"
There has been quite a commotion about the completion of our genetic blueprint, the human genome. It is exciting to consider the positive implications of the information as it grows.
Francis Collins, director of the federal Human Genome Project, called their new found knowledge "a first glimpse of our own instruction book, previously known only to God." --an awesome consideration if not a bit inflated.
It is also exciting to speculate on the implication for people with genetically related disabilities, like Down syndrome which is caused by having a set of three 21st chromosomes instead of two. Most people have 23 sets of two chromosomes altogether. The 21st set of chromosomes is one of the simplest. It has a paltry 33,546,361, chemical " DNA letters" (out of a total of approximately 3 billion) making up a total of only 225 genes. German and Japanese scientists recently completed putting all of these "letters" in the 21st chromosome in order, only the second chromosome to have this done. The 22nd was the first.
Whenever an infant develops with the duplication of any other chromosome, the baby usually spontaneously aborts or lives only a short time after birth. Many children with an extra 21st chromosome resulting in Down syndrome thrive though.
They do this probably because they do not have very many copies of those extra genes compared to genes from other chromosomes. In other words it is a manageable number. I find that encouraging because this small number is one which a researcher may be more motivated to get his or her teeth into and perhaps figure out how to change it or correct it. That's what is exciting.
Albert Einstein said, "a problem well stated is nearly solved." From what I have read scientists are a bit overwhelmed with the quantity of information when dealing with the human genome. They are still trying to figure out and "state the problem" through all the possibilities of this knowledge. They will only with time be able to learn how to use it and begin finding the "solution" to Down syndrome.
What we know of the human genome reminds me a bit of a jig saw puzzle. The pieces are out on the table. The edges are together in a neat rectangle with no "edges" missing. All the blue sky pieces are to the left, still in an orderly jumble. The various pieces with multiple shades of greens in the trees, which we know are there somewhere, are to the right. The brown rock fence in the picture is ready for assembly in the middle of the square.
We just need the time and the go-ahead from God to bring the pieces altogether to make a truly complete picture.
It is information we can use for much good. May it be so.
Thank you to the Dallas Morning News June27, 2000 and Newsweek May 22, 2000 for facts in this article.
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Nancy Lambert Davenport
EMAIL: nancdave@swbell.net
URL: http://www.nancyldavenport.com