A family doctor explains amniocentesis to a group of students in a health class…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A family doctor explains amniocentesis to a group of students in a health class.
- Which fluid is tested, and where is it found?
- Name two disorders that the test can detect.
- For which purpose is the use of the test banned by law?
- Why was a ban needed?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) is considered relatively safe up to the first trimester, which is weeks of pregnancy. NCERT says that the to million MTPs of a year are about of all conceived pregnancies. Amniocentesis tests the amniotic fluid, and a law bans its use for finding the sex of the child. A sex ratio is the number of females for every males.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. A description of amniocentesis.
Plan. Recall what the test is, what it finds and how it was misused.
Step 1. The fluid. The amniotic fluid, which surrounds the developing embryo in the amniotic sac. It holds cells of the foetus.
Step 2. The disorders. Down syndrome, haemophilia and sickle-cell anaemia.
Step 3. The ban. The use of the test to find the sex of the unborn child is banned by law.
Step 4. The reason. The test was misused to find the sex and to end the pregnancies of girls, which is female foeticide. This lowered the number of females for every males.
Answer: the amniotic fluid; any two of Down syndrome, haemophilia and sickle-cell anaemia; sex determination; to stop female foeticide.
Check. The test is allowed for its medical purpose, which is the detection of a disorder, with the rules of the law.
Watch out. The ban is on the use for sex determination, not on the test as a whole.
Discussion (0)
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…