Turner's Syndrome: Aneuploidy or Polyploidy?
Turner's syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects females. It is caused by an abnormality in the number of sex chromosomes. Instead of having two X chromosomes like most females do, Turner's syndrome results in only one X chromosome or a partial X chromosome.
Aneuploidy
Aneuploidy is a type of chromosomal abnormality that occurs when an individual has an abnormal number of chromosomes. In the case of Turner's syndrome, aneuploidy occurs because of a missing or partially missing X chromosome. This results in a total of 45 chromosomes instead of the usual 46 in a typical female.
Turner's syndrome is the only monosomy that is compatible with life in humans. This is because the loss of a Y chromosome is not life-threatening, but the loss of an X chromosome can lead to severe developmental and health problems.
Polyploidy
Polyploidy, on the other hand, is a condition where an individual has more than two sets of chromosomes. It can occur naturally in plants and some animal species, but it is extremely rare in humans and is usually not compatible with life.
Therefore, Turner's syndrome is not caused by polyploidy. It is an example of aneuploidy, where there is an abnormal number of chromosomes due to the loss of an X chromosome or a partial X chromosome.