Cell Case Study

Case Study Summary:

Reasoning:

Verdict:

1)Imperfect egg is on trial

o Life or death

o Trisomy on chromosome

2) Cell is eukaryotic

o DNA is divided into chromosomes

o DNA found in nucleus

3) Cell is from sexual reproduction

o Two parents

§ Formed from egg and sperm

o Two types of DNA to be combined

§ Prone to mutations

o Meiosis

· Jury is prokaryotic

o DNA is found in cytoplasm

o No chromosomes

§ Plasmid

· Jury is from asexual reproduction

o One parent

§ Reproduces through budding or fission

o Direct copy of single parent’s DNA

§ Less prone to mutation

We believe the cell should be able to live. The lawyer going against Martha claims: “She should be destroyed so that a pure lineage can go on.”; however, majority of the time, individuals that have a chromosome 21 mutation are unable to reproduce. Furthermore, the mutation on chromosome 21 is compatible with life and although people with this chromosome 21 mutation have a slightly lower quality of life than the average individual, people who live with the mutation are still able to function and live a regular life. This can be seen when Martha’s lawyer claims: “Even children born with this extra chromosome live happy, wholesome lives.” There is no need for the jury to make a life or death decision on an individual they do not even know. It is crucial that the jury lets the cell live and allows for the cell’s parents to make the decision on the cell’s future.

1)Meiosis is a cell division found in eukaryotic organisms that reduces the chromosome number in half in order to duplicate and reproduce cells

2) Nondisjunction

o Chromosome were not correctly divided from the parent cells to the sister chromatids

3) Nondisjunction in meiosis

o A bivalent egg cell contains two chromosomes instead of one. When the sperm cell pairs with the egg cell and injects an additional chromatide and leaves a group of three chromosomes instead of two.

§ Leads to trisomy

4) Trisomy 21= an extra chromosome is attached to the chromosome 21 pair due to incomplete division of chromosomes in reproductive cell during meiosis.

o Trisomy 21 is the only trisomy compatible with life

§ Leads to Down Syndrome

5) Down Syndrome can cause gastrointestinal issues, developmental delay, intellectual deficiency, lower life expectancy, morphed faces, abnormal decrease in brain cells, potential heart problems