Genes are the part of a body cell that contain the biological information that parents pass to their children. Genes control the growth and development of cells. Genes are made of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), a substance inside the center (nucleus) of cells that contains instructions for the development of the cell.
You inherit half of your genetic information from your mother and the other half from your father. Genes, alone or in combination, determine what features (genetic traits) a person inherits from his or her parents, such as blood type, hair color, eye color, and other characteristics, including risks of developing certain diseases. Certain changes in genes or chromosomes may cause problems in various body processes or functions.
Many genes together make up larger structures within the cell called chromosomes. Each cell normally contains 23 pairs of chromosomes.
A human has 46 chromosomes (23 pairs). One chromosome from each pair comes from the mother, and one chromosome from each pair comes from the father. One of the 23 pairs determines your sex. These sex chromosomes are called X and Y.
Some genetic disorders are caused when all or part of a chromosome is missing or when an extra chromosome or chromosome fragment is present.
Genetic testing examines a DNA sample for gene changes, or it may analyze the number, arrangement, and characteristics of the chromosomes. Testing may be performed on samples of blood, semen, urine, saliva, stool, body tissues, bone, or hair.
You may choose to have genetic testing if you are concerned that you have an increased risk for having or getting a disease that has a genetic cause. The information you obtain from the tests may help you make decisions about your life. For example:
You may decide to have a genetic test during pregnancy to find out whether your fetus has a disorder, such as Down syndrome. Information obtained from the test can help you decide how to manage your pregnancy.
Genetic testing can be used to find out the identity of a child's father (paternity). It can also be used in crime scene investigation.
There are six main types of genetic testing:
Information from genetic testing can affect your life and the lives of your family members. The issues involved include:
Every person carries two copies of most genes (one copy from the mother and one from the father). A carrier is a person who has a change in one copy of a gene. The carrier does not have the genetic disease related to the abnormal gene. A carrier can pass this abnormal gene to a child. Carrier testing is a type of genetic testing that can determine whether people who have a family history of a specific disease, or who are in a group that has a greater chance of having a disease, are likely to pass that disease to their children. Information from this type of testing can guide a couple's decision about having children.
For many genetic disorders, carrier testing can help determine how likely it is that a child will have the disease:
Examples of screening tests to identify carriers for specific genetic disorders include:
There are two types of prenatal genetic tests: screening and diagnostic.
Examples of tests used for prenatal screening include:
If prenatal screening shows an increased risk of problems, other tests may be done. These include:
Shortly after birth, a blood sample is taken from a newborn to screen for diseases such as phenylketonuria (PKU) and congenital hypothyroidism. Sensors are placed on the newborn's hand and foot to check the amount of oxygen in the blood. This type of testing is important, because treatment is available to improve the health of the child. Newborn screening is required in the United States, but states vary on which tests they offer.
Examples of tests used for newborn screening include:
Other tests, such as newborn hearing tests, can tell whether a baby may need future hearing services or genetic testing. Approximately 50 out of 100 cases of newborn hearing loss are caused by genetic factors.footnote 1
This type of testing is done to determine whether you have a greater chance of having diseases that usually show up later in life. If you have a relative who has the disease, information from these tests can help you make decisions about preventing or slowing the progress of the disease.
Genetic testing is used to identify the risk of diseases such as:
Genetic testing used to determine the biological parent of a child is called forensic testing. It is also often used to help solve crimes by determining whether crime scene DNA evidence could be the same as the suspect's DNA.
Forensic testing has been used to identify unknown people, such as military personnel killed in action or crime victims.
The information from genetic testing can have a big impact on your life. Medical geneticists and genetic counselors are trained to help you understand your risk of getting a disease related to genetics or of having a child with an inherited (genetic) disease, such as sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, or hemophilia. A genetic counselor can help you make well-informed decisions. Ask to have genetic counseling before making a decision about testing. Genetic counseling may involve:
Genetic counseling can help you and your family:
Medical geneticists and genetic counselors are trained to help you and your family make informed decisions that are right for you. They are sensitive to physical and emotional aspects of these decisions. Your privacy and confidentiality are carefully protected.
Current as of: February 23, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & John Pope MD - Pediatrics & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Elizabeth T. Russo MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Siobhan M. Dolan MD, MPH - Reproductive Genetics
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