Disorders and Diseases that

Result from the Malfunction of

the Cell during the Cell Cycle
Disorders and Diseases that Result from the
Malfunction of the Cell during the Cell Cycle

Errors in Division

The cell cycle is prone to errors due to the phases of genetic

variation that occurs in meiosis and the DNA replication process in
mitosis.

Possible sites of error:

DNA Replication

Recombination

Independent Assortment

When the cell is unable to correct the damages made at this point, it goes into a
programmed cell death moment also known as apoptosis.

When these regulatory mechanisms are unable to pause the cycle and the cell fails
to go into apoptosis, the abnormal cell would proceed to multiply. The several
disorders or diseases arise from the multiplication of these faulty cells. We will be
discussing three disorders caused by a faulty cell cycle:

Down Syndrome

Turner Syndrome

Leukemia

Human Chromosomes

Disorders and Diseases that Result from the Malfunction of the Cell during the Cell Cycle 1
 A normal cell undergoing cell division has a total of 23 pairs of chromosomes for the
average human being. Chromosome 23 is the sex hormone which dictates the gender
of the cell.

Down Syndrome
Down Syndrome: a chromosomal disorder which occurs when an individual has a full
or partial extra copy of chromosome 21 due to errors in cell division.

The extra copy of chromosome 21 impairs the cognitive ability and

physical growth of the child.

Trisomy 21 (nondisjunction)

The most common type of defect which causes down syndrome.

During cell division, chromosome 21 of either parent cell failed to separate, thus
one daughter cell received three copies of the chromosome while the other
received only one.

Mosaicism (Mosaic Down Syndrome)

Where the cells present in the baby is a mixture of cells with 46 and 47
chromosomes.

Those cells with 47 chromosomes contain an extra chromosome 21.

Mosaicism is the least common form of Down Syndrome.

Translocation

There are also three copies of chromosome 21, except the extra copy is
attached to other chromosomes instead of being separate.

Turner Syndrome

Normally, a female has two X chromosomes while a male has X and Y sex
chromosomes. The female receives its X chromosomes from both parents.

A turner syndrome occurs if she fails to receive both X chromosomes. It is a

condition that affects females only.

Disorders and Diseases that Result from the Malfunction of the Cell during the Cell Cycle 2
 This error happens during the formation of the egg or sperm from the parent cells.

Leukemia (Blood Cancer)

It is a condition where defective white blood cells crowd the red blood cells and
platelets into the body when the cell fails to go into apoptosis.

Side effects of leukemia include increased risk of infection, anemia, excessive

bleeding, hair loss, and sore mouth.

Disorders and Diseases that Result from the Malfunction of the Cell during the Cell Cycle 3