Deletion of an Entire Autosome ____

Question

Deletion of an entire autosome ____.
A) causes XYY syndrome
B) causes Down syndrome
C) causes no physical symptoms
D) is lethal
E) is called polyploidy

Accepted Answer

Deletion of an entire autosome (one of the 22 pairs of non-sex chromosomes) is usually lethal because it disrupts the balance of genes and leads to developmental abnormalities. In contrast, deletion or duplication of parts of chromosomes can cause specific genetic disorders. XYY syndrome and Down syndrome are not caused by deletion of an entire autosome, but rather by extra copies of certain chromosomes. Polyploidy refers to cells or organisms with multiple sets of chromosomes, not deletion of a single autosome.