chromosomal aberration /-sō″məl/ [Gk, chroma + soma, body; L, aberrare, to wander] , any change in the structure or number of any of the chromosomes of a given species. In humans, a number of physical disabilities and disorders are directly associated with aberrations of both the autosomes and the sex chromosomes, including Down, Turner’s, and Klinefelter’s syndromes. The incidence of most chromosomal disorders is significantly higher than that of single-gene disorders. See also trisomy.
