The frequency of Down syndrome in the human population is most closely correlated with which of the following?
A)Frequency of new meiosis
B)Average of the ages of mother and father
C)Age of the mother
D)Age of the father
E)Exposure of pregnant women to environmental pollutants

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The frequency of Down syndrome is mostly correlated with the age of the mother, specifically women over the age of 35 have a higher risk of having a child with Down syndrome. Studies have shown that the chance of having a child with Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother because older eggs have a higher likelihood of improper chromosome division during meiosis. The age of the father has also been shown to have some correlation, but not as strongly as the age of the mother. The other options, frequency of new meiosis and exposure to environmental pollutants, have not been shown to have a significant correlation with the frequency of Down syndrome.

The Frequency of Down Syndrome in the Human Population Is