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Genetics is the study of heredity, the process in which a parent passes certain genes onto their children. A person''s appearance-- height, hair color, skin color, and eye color-- are determined by genes.
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Although inheriting certain genes might boost your chances of contracting a disease, it's rarely a sure thing. Often, your lifestyle and environment can join with disease-prone genes to make a potential disease a reality.
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If you have relatives diagnosed with a major chronic condition, such as heart disease or cancer, it pays to learn if you're at increased risk, too.
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Experts say you should pay close attention to what is, by far, the most useful genetic knowledge—your family medical history.
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Endophenotypes are characteristics of a disorder or illness that are not observable. It is hoped that study of these characteristics may lead to better understanding of the genetic causes of mental illnesses.
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Both my husband and I are from the Mediterranean area and have been diagnosed with Mediterranean anemia (thalassemia minor). How will this affect our children? What do I need to know before getting pregnant?
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