A while ago, the story of Maya, a kitten with traits similar to those that characterize Down syndrome in humans, went viral on social media, the story was described in a children’s book titled?Do you know the Cat Maya? On the initiative of his guardian,, who decided to put words to the day with his cat to convey to children the importance of empathy, encouraging them to learn to love these individuals commonly classified as “different” in society.
In addition to encouraging many reflections on the prejudices rooted in the structure of societies, Maya’s story, known internationally as the “trisomic cat,” has raised the question of whether animals might be affected by Down syndrome and, more specifically, whether cats can show this genetic change In this Animal Expert article, we will explain whether cats can have Down syndrome.
- Before you know if there is a cat with Down syndrome.
- You must first understand what the condition is.
- Down syndrome is a genetic disease that specifically affects the pair of chromosomes 21 and is also known as Down syndrome.
The structure of our DNA consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes.However, when a person has Down syndrome, they have three chromosomes in what should be “par 21”, that is, they have one more chromosome at that specific location of genetics.Structure.
This genetic change is expressed both morphologically and intellectually.This is why people with Down’s syndrome generally have specific traits associated with Down’s syndrome, in addition to being able to demonstrate some difficulties in their cognitive development and changes in their muscle growth and toning.
In this sense, it is essential to emphasize that Down syndrome is not a disease, but a change in the structure of the genes that make up the human DNA that occurs during conception, being inherent to the people who suffer from it.he pointed out that people with this syndrome are neither intellectual nor socially incapable, able to learn various activities, lead a healthy and positive social life, enter the labour market, start a family, have their own tastes and opinions that are part of their own personality, among others.
What made Maya, the cat with Down syndrome known?These were mainly the features on your face, which at first glance resemble some of the morphological characteristics associated with Down syndrome in humans.
The answer is no! Down syndrome, as mentioned above, affects the pair of chromosomes 21, which is characteristic of the structure of human DNA, it is worth remembering that each species has unique genetic information, and it is precisely this configuration of genes that determines the characteristics that identify individuals belonging to one species or another; in the case of humans, for example, the genetic code determines that they are identified as human beings and not as other animals.
For this reason, there are no Siamese cats with Down syndrome, and neither can wild or domestic felines present it, since it is a syndrome that occurs exclusively in the genetic structure of the human being, but how is it possible that Maya and other cats have physical characteristics similar to those observed in people with Down syndrome?
The answer is simple because some animals, as in Maya’s case, may have genetic alterations, including Down-type trisomy, however, these will never occur on the pair of chromosomes 21, which is present only in the human genetic code, but in another.pair of chromosomes that form the genetic structure of the species.
Genetic changes in animals may occur at the time of conception, but they can also come from genetic experiments conducted in the laboratory, or from the practice of inbreeding, as was the case of the white tiger named Kenny, who lived in a shelter in Arkansa.and died in 2008, shortly after his case became known around the world – and erroneously – as ‘the tiger with Down syndrome’.
To conclude this article, we must reaffirm that, although there are many doubts about whether animals may have Down syndrome, the truth is that animals (including felines) may have trisomy and other genetic changes, but there are no cats with Down syndrome.because this condition only appears in the human genetic code.
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