Pediatric HESI 2023 Related

Review Pediatric HESI 2023 related questions and content

When teaching a class about trisomy 21, the instructor would identify the cause of this disorder as:

  • A. nondisjunction.
  • B. X-linked recessive inheritance.
  • C. genomic imprinting.
  • D. autosomal dominant inheritance.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: nondisjunction. Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome, is caused by nondisjunction, which is an error in cell division leading to an extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. X-linked recessive inheritance refers to genetic disorders carried on the X chromosome, genomic imprinting involves gene expression based on parental origin, and autosomal dominant inheritance relates to disorders caused by a dominant gene on one of the non-sex chromosomes. In the case of trisomy 21, the cause is specifically related to the error in chromosome division, making nondisjunction the most appropriate answer.