The Biology of Mongolism

Abstract

Based on a Dissertation read before the Royal Medical Society on Friday. 2nd March, 1962.

Mongolism is a neuro-endocrine disorder, based on a molecular disturbance, which is manifested by a chromosome abnormality. The mental defect is probably due not specifically to a gene or gene complexes on the chromosomes but to a generalised imbalance of the chromosome set as a result of aneuploidy.

There are three types of chromosome abnormality which have so far been described in mongols

1. Non-disjunction.

2. Translocation.

3. Mosaics.