There are many diseases that affect the human race. They can be physical, mental, and/or emotional. Downs Syndrome (DS) is a prime example of one of these diseases. It was realized as a medical condition by John Down in 1866. Downs Syndrome affects all ethnic groups equally, from symptoms to causes to outcomes. For a majority of people Downs Syndrome is not hereditary, it is developed due to an extra 21st chromosome. The problems associated with it affect an individual greatly, especially since there are no cures.
          Downs Syndrome affects all people, no one group suffers more directly than another. It is not caused by prenatal affairs. Most people are diagnosed right after they’re born; this shows how prominent the physical symptoms are. The physical features are easily noticed and, if assumed to have the disease, tests are taken to prove the child has Downs Syndrome. Some of the symptoms are: reduced muscle tone, flat facial features (i.e. nose, bone structure, etc.), a sandal gap (large space between the big toe and others), and below average birth weight and length.
          The condition is overall seen as not inherited from parents, but in few cases can be. For every 800 babies born, one will be diagnosed with Downs Syndrome. According to a national and global census an estimated 390,510 people, out of 312,408,207, suffer this disease in the US. Downs Syndrome is caused by an additional chromosome in the 21st position. This addition is caused by a misguided instruction from either the mother’s or father’s gamete to send an extra chromosome.