Down's syndrome diagnosis. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) micrograph of Down's syndrome chromosomes (red) in a foetus' cell nuclei (blue).

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Down's syndrome diagnosis. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) micrograph of Down's syndrome chromosomes (red) in a foetus' cell nuclei (blue). The FISH technique enables individual chromosomes within the nuclei to be tagged with a fluorescent dye. Here, three copies of chromosome 21 are seen in each nucleus, the cause of Down's syndrome. In a healthy human, each nucleus contains only two copies of chromosome 21. Chromosomes are the parts of a nucleus responsible for carrying the genetic code. Down's syndrome is a genetic disease which causes mental retardation and typically flattened features. It affects around 1 in every 650 babies.

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Photo credit: © DEPT. OF CLINICAL CYTOGENETICS, ADDENBROOKES HOSPITAL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 21, chromoprobe, chromosome, condition, defect, disease, disorder, downs, fish, fluorescence, genetic, healthcare, hereditary, hybridisa, inherited, medical, medicine, micr, microgra, micrograph, nuclei, nucleus, research, situ, syndrome, trisomy