Trisomy is the presence of an extra chromosome. This can arise as a result of non-disjunction, when homologous chromosomes fail to separate at meiosis resulting in a germ cell containing 24 chromosomes rather than 23.

What mutations cause trisomy?

Trisomy 21. About 95 percent of the time, Down syndrome is caused by trisomy 21 — the person has three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two copies, in all cells. This is caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the sperm cell or the egg cell.

What causes trisomy in meiosis?

They are caused by nondisjunction, which occurs when pairs of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids fail to separate during meiosis.