Genetics

characteristics that they wish to have in their children. The characteristics that they can choose consist of eye color, hair color, etc. but they can also look at the child’s genetic makeup, which shows parents what diseases their child could have when they are born. For parents to be able to decide their child’s genetic…

options such as genetic counseling and in vitro fertilization available to couples that risk hereditary diseases in their children many scientists still continue to press for genetic editing. The risks of genetic editing do not outweigh the possible benefits that could be gained from this process. To fully understand the dangers of genetic…

demands on women such as expectations to be superwoman and do it all with aplomb. Today we have choices—lots of choices—but not all of those choices are straightforward or uncomplicated. With all the phenomenal scientific breakthroughs regarding genetic testing, we are put in the challenging situation of having to wrestle with moral dilemmas regarding our unborn children and our personal bodies. Just because it has been made possible by scientific innovations, is it always the right choice? As…

colon cancer and seeing her condition worsen, my appreciation for the promising world of genetics has amplified. The need for more research on the molecular staging of cancer for example or the correlation between phenotype and the discrete genetic mutations present at a particular pre-malignant stage, will lead to more accurate prognosis, therapeutic intervention, and treatment targeted for a precise genetic profile. With these theories in mind, I am determined to pursue a career contributing…

the model organism that can be used for various applications. In this experiment, the fruit flies were used to observe the basic genetic mechanism, leading to understanding the mode of inheritances of other organisms since they all share similar genetic approach. Background Mendelian genetic is considered to the classic for genetic. There are three Mendel’s laws of genetics: the law of dominance, the law of segregation, and the law of independent assortment. The Mendel law of dominance…

Should Genetic Engineering be used to add Intelligence Genes to Humans? If you have the ability to design your own child, what kind of genes would you add? Would it be genes associated with attractive physical appearance, strong immunity, or great intelligence? In the article Future Humans: Four Ways We May, or May Not, Evolve, James Owen gives four predictions regarding the future of humanity, one of which predicts that in the future, the path of artificial selection would be directed by…

The experience one can get while matching the definite laminopathy symptoms with the mutations revealed in the patients LMNA gene, in any case, bring us closer to understanding the genetic basis of…

Over the first five months of my M/Phill program I worked on two major projects: SPTLC1 and UNC13a genes. SPTLC1 Project The goal of SPTLC1 project was to show that mutations in SPTLC1 gene are the cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS). The following project was done in three steps: exome sequencing of a trio, exome sequencing of a large ALS cohort and matched control samples, and Sanger sequencing of SPTLC1 gene. The projects began with the discovery of a family that consisted of…

DNA is tightly coiled inside of each chromosome, and the chromosomes contain genes which are comprised of proteins and nucleic acids, specifically Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C ), and sugar-phosphate. This DNA coding determines genetic differences between kittens, such as sex, eye color, fur color, markings, and more. As previously mentioned, half of a kitten’s chromosomes are inherited from their mother, and the other half are inherited from their father, meaning that the…

a model system for research on all levels of biology. Their small size, relatively cheap pricing, and short lifespans make them easy to care for and breed. More importantly, the fruit fly genome is completely sequenced, with 77% of searched human genetic disease genes matching 548 unique drosophila gene sequences (Reiter et al., 2001). This relationship between the genome of fruit flies and that of humans ensures fruit flies are important tools for elucidating an understanding on a range of…