Genetic testing
hideGenetic testing allows the genetic diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherit diseases, and can also be used to determine a person's ancestry. Normally, every person carries two copies of every gene, one inherited from their mother, one inherited from their father. The human genome is believed to contain around 20,000 - 25,000 genes. In addition to studying chromosomes to the level of individual genes, genetic testing in a broader sense includes biochemical tests for the possible presence of genetic diseases, or mutant forms of genes associated with increased risk of developing genetic disorders. Genetic testing identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. Most of the time, testing is used to find changes that are associated with inherited disorders. The results of a genetic test can confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition or help determine a person's chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder. Several hundred genetic tests are currently in use, and more are being developed.
Since genetic testing may open up ethical or psychological problems, genetic testing is often accompanied by genetic counseling.
For more information about Genetic testing, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with genetic testing
Well-traveled wasps provide hope for vanishing species
Nov 09, 2009 |
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They may only be 1.5mm in size, but the tiny wasps that pollinate fig trees can travel over 160km in less than 48 hours, according to research from scientists at the University of Leeds. The fig wasps are transporting ...
Dartmouth researchers get personal with genetics
Sep 15, 2009 |
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Two recent studies by Dartmouth researchers use individual genetic data to reveal the powers and limits of our current understanding of how the genome influences human health and what genes can reveal about the ancestry of ...
Scientists discover gene mutation responsible for hereditary neuroendocrine tumor
Jul 23, 2009 |
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University of Utah researchers and their colleagues have identified the gene that is mutated in a hereditary form of a rare neuroendocrine tumor called paraganglioma (PGL). The gene, called hSDH5, is required for activation ...
Bioethicists call for federal regulation of genetic ancestry testing
Jul 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- As the popularity of take-home DNA kits to trace ancestry or calculate the risk for serious medical conditions grows, there is an increasingly critical need for federal oversight of "direct-to consumer" genetic ...
Scientists uncovered molecular machinery related to stem cell fate
Jun 26, 2009 |
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The Stowers Institute's Xie Lab has revealed how the BAM protein affects germline stem cell differentiation and how it is involved in regulating the quality of stem cells through intercellular competition. The work was published ...
Genetic changes involved in learning disability identified
Jun 26, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The first comprehensive effort to pinpoint the genetic causes of learning disability has narrowed down the genes involved from a potential list of thousands to several dozen key genes.
DNA self-tests: More hype than help?
Mar 20, 2009 |
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With a little spit and a few keyboard strokes, you can unlock the secrets of your DNA. At least, it seems that simple at an array of Internet sites that are pitching genetic tests directly to consumers.
Researcher Uses DNA Testing to Unlock Secrets of Medieval Manuscripts
Jan 12, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Thousands of painstakingly handwritten books produced in medieval Europe still exist today, but scholars have long struggled with questions about when and where the majority of these works originated. Now ...
82 healthy sea turtles hatch at San Diego SeaWorld
Nov 03, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The population of endangered green sea turtles at SeaWorld in San Diego grew by 82 in October when the eggs hatched on Shipwreck Beach without human help.
Hunting for the Prozac gene
Oct 27, 2009 |
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Prozac works wonders for some depressed people, but not for others. In some cases, patients derive little benefit and at worst, it can lead to bizarre hallucinations and fits of rage. Researchers and doctors remain puzzled ...
Scientists protest plan to loosen patent protection on genetic research
Oct 11, 2009 |
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University of Wisconsin-Madison officials are lashing out at new recommendations from an influential federal panel that could dramatically weaken patent protection for the university's genetic research.
Severe Epilepsy Linked to Gene Mutation
Sep 14, 2009 |
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University of Utah medical researchers have identified a gene with mutations that cause febrile seizures and contribute to a severe form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome in some of the most vulnerable patients - infants ...
Fear of insurance rejection deters potentially life saving genetic tests for bowel cancer
Sep 06, 2009 |
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An Australian study of families with genetic risk of bowel cancer has found that 50 percent of participants declined genetic testing when informed of insurance implications.
Mary had a lot of lambs: Researchers identify way to accelerate sheep breeding
Aug 06, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Mary had a little lamb, but only once a year. However, Cornell Sheep Program researchers have discovered an unusual form of a gene that prompts ewes to breed out of season as well as conceive ...
Cancer patients want genetic testing to predict metastasis risk
Jun 01, 2009 |
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If you had cancer and a genetic test could predict the risk of the tumor spreading aggressively, would you want to know - even if no treatments existed to help you?
