2006-10-03 03:24:50 · 2 answers · asked by Ronin 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
For more than 12 years, scientists have noticed that some individuals with autism also have a chromosomal change involving a specific part of chromosome 15 (a region known as chromosome 15q11-q13). These individuals have extra copies (referred to as duplications) of this region on chromosome 15. This finding suggests that these duplications on chromosome 15 may contribute to the development of autism.
Researchers have found small segments of DNA (referred to as markers) on chromosome 15 that are seen more frequently in individuals with autism (who by chromosomal analysis have been found not to have an obvious chromosome rearrangement) than in individuals without autism. This statistical effect can only be observed when a group of individuals with autism are studied together. This finding strongly suggests that a gene that contributes to autism is in this region, but the actual gene has not yet been found.
2006-10-03 03:27:49 · answer #1 · answered by ratpackluvr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_autism
2006-10-03 10:36:33 · answer #2 · answered by Ajeesh Kumar 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋