Cleft chin

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In humans, cleft chin is a dimple on the chin. Having a cleft chin is an autosomal dominant trait resulting in a Y-shaped fissure of the chin. There is a 75% chance that a child will have a cleft chin when both parents are visible carriers of the gene.

Like cheek dimples, chin dimples are inheritable and have a varying degree of prominence. For example, while Kirk Douglas has a very conspicuous cleft chin, his son, Michael Douglas has a much less visible cleft chin. The majority of females do not have cleft chins [1].

The groove of the cleft chin is not just skin-deep, but also on the jawbone, as a groove in the vertical midline of symphysis menti and the soft tissue above it. It is probably the result of incomplete fusion between the left and right halves lower jaw during embryologic development.

Experts believe that cleft chins form the same way that cleft lips form. During the embryonic stage, the tissues most likely fail to meet completely, resulting in a separate development and then fusion along the midline. The result of this fusion (in the region of the bony aspect of the lower jaw) is known as the "symphysis menti."

Contents

[edit] List of people with a cleft chin

William McKinley
William McKinley

[edit] Deceased

[edit] Living

[edit] Media/Entertainment

[edit] Politics

[edit] Sports

[edit] Cartoon and Video Game Characters

[edit] See also

[edit] External link

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