How Do Genes Affect Our Health?

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How Do Genes Affect Our Health?
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Genetics Unit Questions

• What is a gene?
• How do genes mutate?
• What possible traits or diseases do we inherit
  from our genetic code?
• Are genes our destiny?

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Genetics

• By
• Deana Vernon

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Overview

• Basic genetics.
• The Human Genome Project
• Genes mutations.
• Inheritable conditions and environmental factors.
  
• What you can do, if anything, about your genes.

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What is a gene?

• A Gene is a basic unit of heredity found in the
  cells of all living organisms.
• Genes are composed of long strings of DNA, a
  molecule that forms the long, threadlike
  structures called chromosomes.
• Genes are like sentences made
• of the letters of the nucleotide alphabet,
• between them, genes direct the physical
• development behavior of an organism.

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Gene
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Human Genome Project

• The Human Genome Project
• An international research project design to
  sequence and map the genome of all homo sapiens.
  Completed in April 2003.
• Genome code.

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How do genes mutate?

• 1) You can inherit a single gene mutation called
  an inheritable condition.
• or
• 2) A gene can mutate any time after birth called
  multi-factual inheritable disorder.

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Several inheritable conditions

• Huntington Disease
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Fragile X Syndrome
• Hemophilia
• Anti-trypsin deficiency
• Leber hereditary optic neuropathy

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Several multi-factual disorders

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Schizophrenia
• Certain types of Cancers
• Certain types of addictions
• Multi-factual disorders are also difficult to
  study and treat because specific factors that
  cause these disorders have not yet been
  identified.
• Genes are thought to behave (express) differently
  because of environmental factors.

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Are genes our destiny?

• Genetic inheritance of multi-factual disorders
• is only part of the story.
• cannot be changed yet.
• But.
• Environmental risk
• carry more weight than genetic risk.
• can be controlled.
• So..
• Eat right, watch your weight, use alcohol in
  moderation and DO NOT SMOKE.

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So

• What will I inherit?

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Knowledge is power! Know your genetic profile.
Create your own genetic profile at
www.familyhistory.hhs.gov.
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Interesting Websites To Visit

• http//nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/d
  na_double_helix/index.html
• http//www.historicalgenetics.com
• http//www.navigenics.com
• http//www.genome.gov
• http//www.familytreedna.com/default.aspx