Mitotic errors occur rarely but can have serious consequences if they happen during early cell divisions when forming offspring. There are different types of mitotic errors including non-disjunction where sister chromatids fail to separate properly, leading to aneuploidy. Other errors include deletions from broken chromosomes losing fragments, translocations where broken chromosomes reattach to the wrong area, and inversions where fragments reattach upside down. Aneuploidy from errors can cause conditions like Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, and some cancers.

1. Mitotic Mistakes What happens when things go wrong?

2. What is the big deal? Although errors in mitosis are rare, the process may go wrong, especially during early cellular divisions in the zygote . Mitotic errors can be especially dangerous to the organism because future offspring from this parent cell will carry the same disorder.

3. Different types of Errors Non-Disjunction Deletion Translocation Inversion

4. Deletion Sometimes during mitosis the chromosomes can be damaged. If the chromosome gets broken the fragments can be lost. If this happens the genetic material they contain is deleted.

5. Translocation If the chromosome breaks, it can reattach. Sometimes it reattaches to the wrong chromosome. This is called translocation

6. Inversion When the fragment gets reattached it gets attached to the right chromosome but upside down. When this happens it incorrected codes for information.

7. Non-Disjunction When the sisters fail to separate. One cell is given three copies (trisomy) of a chromosome while the other gets only one (monosomy). These cells are called Aneuploidic, and they can cause cancer.

8. Aneuploidy Most recognized forms of Aneuploidy are Downs Syndrome (Trisomy 21) and Edwards syndrome (Trisomy 18). Different cells with abnormal amounts of chromosomes is called mosaicism. Some forms of mosaicism can cause cancers of the white blood cells (luekemia).