Have you ever heard someone talking about his or her birthmark, and were curious to know if you had one? Maybe you did have one or knew someone with one also, but was wondering to how they even got one. The proper way to refer to one of those marks on the human body is not a birthmark, it is actually a defect that someone was born with and is considered a birth defect. “Birth defects are structural or functional abnormalities present at birth that cause physical or mental disability. They are the leading cause of death for infants during the first year of life. (Cuhna, John F.)” About three percent of babies in the United States are born with a birth defect, ranging from minor marks on the body to major body defects also resulting in about twenty percent of infant deaths. (Cuhna, John F.) Throughout this paper what birth defects are, how you receive them, and the leading causes of birth defects will be major factors. Birth defects are caused by three factors; chromosomal abnormalities, single-gene defects, and multifactorial influences. During conception a fetus receives its genetic makeup, birth defects that come from genetic causes are usually brought about during fertilization. In order for the birth defect to occur these four procedures could have taken place: chromosomal abnormalities, large-scale duplication, deletions of chromosomal segments, or entire chromosomes. (Lobo, Ingrid, Ph.D., and Kira Zhaurova, M.S.) Single-gene defects majority of the time are inherited, unlike chromosomal abnormalities which is caused by genetics. Phenylketnouria (PKU), is a disease that is commonly known to be inherited. Single-gene defects can also be common within different racial and ethnic groups. Take sickle-cell anemia for instance, ... ... middle of paper ... ...14. . Cunha, John F., DO. FACOE. "Birth Defects: Learn About the Causes." MedicineNet. N.p., 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 09 May 2014. . "Data & Statistics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 July 2013. Web. 09 May 2014. . Lobo, Ingrid, Ph.D., and Kira Zhaurova, M.S. "Birth Defects: Causes and Statistics." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 2008. Web. 09 May 2014. . "Overview of Birth Defects." Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters Health System. Children's Hospital of The King's Daughter, 23 June 2013. Web. 09 May 2014. https://www.chkd.org/HealthLibrary/content.aspx?pageid=P02113
Peterson-Iyer, Karen. "Confronting a Fetal Abnormality." http://www.scu.edu. Santa Clara University, Jan. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. .
Nowadays if someone has an imperfection it can be removed in the safest and easiest way with minor side effects possible which is laser removal. The laser removal treatment is a simple process where a customized light were to be shined on the birthmark; the light would “blend” the mark to match the skin tone.( "Laser Birthmark Removal." Sknclinics. Sknclinics, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2016.) This
The birthmark is a compelling story of one man’s obsession with his scientific ability to produce perfection. Aylmer, a scientist, is married to a Georgiana who is a very beautiful woman. Not long after getting married Georgiana’s birthmark, which is in the shape of a tiny handprint on her check, really begins to bother Aylmer. He sees it as a flaw in an other wise perfect woman. Georgiana knows that her birthmark disgusts him and, having grown up not bother at all by it, begins to hate it herself. He asks if she has ever considered having it removed. This is not something she has considered since other people in her life, especially men, have always seen it as a “charm”. Aylmer being an amazing scientist almost sees himself as god and feels that he has the power to remove this imperfection. Georgiana, bothered by her husband’s reaction to her birthmark, agrees to let him try to rid her of it. She is taken to his laboratory and he immediately begins to experiment. After she finds Aylmer’s book of experiments, which all end in failure, she for the first time, has some doubt about how this will work and confronts him. He reassures her and begins to try a multitude of methods, with the help of his assistant Aminadab, which do not work. At one point, there are several experiments going on and he even refers to himself as a “sorcerer” (Hawthorne 232). Finally, he produces a potion, which she drinks, and the birthmark begins to disappear! Slowly though, even as the experiment is working, Georgiana is fading away. He finds that ultimately, the birthmark was connected to her very soul and in his trying to act god like he actually kills her. Really this short story just proves that science has its limits and no man should try to act like G...
The BirthMark was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne it is short dark romantic story that is closely looked at the obsession with human perfection. He had two main characters named Aylmer and Georgiana. Aylmer was not happy with Georgiana because of her birthmark. Aylmer insist Georgiana to get plastic surgery then realizes that the procedure is dangerous and agrees with it anyway. However, Georgiana dies and Aylmer then realizes that her life has been killed just for Aylmer happiness to make his wife perfect. This text is an issue that might be a broad to love in everyday life such as in selfishness, obsession, death.
This genetic disorder is not specific to a certain age, ethnic group, or gender; theref...
There are certain events in one’s life that cannot be explained, for recondite information is present and difficult to perceive. Nevertheless, science always makes an effort, and usually succeeds, to find answers and logical explanations. While the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne holds a more metaphorical and symbolic meaning, there is a possibility for the concluding incident to have a scientific explanation. The story tells us the tale of a scientist named Aylmer and his wife, Georgiana, who had a birthmark the size of a tiny hand upon her left cheek. Said mark, while found beautiful and endearing by some, slowly became a hindrance to Aylmer, who became obsessed with it for believing it a sign of her human imperfection.
The type of mutation that occurs in Down syndrome is aneuploidy that is the irregular number of chromosomes in a cell. The most common of the three is the trisomy 21 that occurs in about 90% of people with the disorder. In this factor the human is given three copies of the chromosome 21 instead of the common two copies. This occurs due to the complications of the cell division in the process of the egg or sperm. The next case is mosaic which happen when there are inequality of cells with three copies of chromosome 21 and others with the original two copies. Mosaic appears when there is an unexpected cell division after fertilization. The last and the rarest form is translocation and that happens while the chromosome 21 in cell division is broken off and attached to another chromosome. Since the disorder is unexpected there are numerous amounts of risk factors that are possible based on the severity of the person.
Shniderman, Nancy, and Sue Hurwitz. Drugs and Birth Defects. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 1993. Print.
“Leave it alone, it will go away” is the instructions doctors specify to patients and parents of children with a vascular birthmark (“Vascular Birthmarks”). According to research, “It is estimated that approximately 10% of births have a vascular birthmark – that’s about 400,000 children per year in the United States alone” (“Vascular Birthmarks”). The two main types of vascular birthmarks are Hemangiomas, a non-cancerous tumor of skin composed of abnormal lymph vessels, and Malformations, an inborn growth of skin containing arteries, capillaries, veins, or lymphatic vessels. It is no longer necessary for patients to suffer through emotional and physical pain while waiting for their lesion to disappear, because today the medical field has advanced its technology and clinical experiences in order to manage vascular birthmarks. However, there is not a recommendation treatment that fits any birthmark; the treatment choice depends on the degree of disfigurement, location, type, and severity (“Birthmarks”). Vascular birthmarks, the benign skin growths comprised of rapidly growing or poorly formed blood vessels or lymph vessels, have potentially life threatening and emotional effects that can often be corrected by steroid therapy, laser treatment, and surgical removal.
In conclusion the theme of The Birthmark is expressed within the story. “The crimson hand expressed the ineludible gripe in which mortality clutches the highest and purest of earthly mould, degrading them into kindred with the lowest, and even with the very brutes, like whom their visible frames return to dust. In this manner, selecting it as the symbol of his wife's liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death.” (Hawthorne 359). This story tells a lot about human nature, the most important one is that human beings are naturally imperfect creatures, trying
Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disorder that mostly affects people of African ancestry, but also occurs in other ethnic groups, including people who are of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent. More than 70,000 Americans have sickle cell anemia. And about 2 million Americans - and one in 12 African Americans - have sickle cell trait (this means they carry one gene for the disease, but do not have the disease itself).
Sickle cell anemia is a disease that has to be inherited from both parents. Both parents have sickle cell trait, which means each parent has sickle hemoglobin and normal hemoglobin. So people with the sickle cell trait can pass the sickle cell gene to their children. Most families that come from Africa, South Central, and Central America are more common with sickle cell anemia. According to National Heart, Lung and Blood, it’s estimated that the sickle cell disease has affected 70,000-100,000 people mainly African Americans (National Institute of Health, 2012). Hispanic Americans also are common to having sickle cell anemia. According to National heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, statistics shows sickle cell anemia occurs in about 1 out of every 500 African American births and 1 out of 36,000 Hispanic American births (National Institute of Health, 2012). Signs of sickle cell anemia don’t show until after 4 months of age. Sickle cell anemia begins from ...
Random mutations- genes that control brain development .Maternal infections that affect the developing fetus. Fetal stroke, a disruption of blood supply to the developing brain Lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) related to diffic...
During prenatal development, the mother's general health and age is very important. Nutrition, anxiety, and stress are a big part of the physical development during the prenatal stages. Referenced by Eysenck & Schoenthaler (1997) in our text, “A rapidly growing body of evidence reveals that when food sources are short on protein or essential vitamins and minerals during prenatal and early postnatal development, an infant’s physical, socio-emotional, and intellectual development can be compromised” (as cited by Broderick & Blewitt, 2010, p. 56).Genetic and chromosomal problems can begin at conception. Many disorders can be transmitted through the operation of dominant and recessive genes. Most recessive disorders are diagnosed in early childhood. Some genetic disorders include the following: sickle cell disease, hemophilia, night blindness, cystic fibrosis, extra fingers, high blood pressure, and huntington's disease. Chromosomal errors also effect the prenatal development stage. The most common is Down syndrome, in which a child has 3 copies of chromosome 21. The risk of bearing a child with this condition depends on the age of the mother.