2010 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript

This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2010. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.

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Are world class athletes genetically different from normal people?      Joan Ehrhardt, M.S.: I coordinate birth defects tracking, prevention and referral education and activities for state and local programs, health providers and the general public. Well... SOME world class athletes are genetically different from "normal" people. Occasionally, we hear about athletes in the news who have conditions such as Marfan syndrome - a person with Marfan tends to be tall, have a long arm span and long fingers, be flexible - and have a higher risk for certain heart problems. I would suppose that most world class athletes are mainly different in their dedication to training and hard work. We're all different - we're all unique! Crosby-Ironton High School in MN (10th grade student)

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