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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what is the most common genetic defect
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Emily Edelman, M.S., C.G.C.:
I am a genetic counselor who coordinates multiple projects at a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education in genetics to healthcare providers. I currently work with other genetic counselors, scientists, physicians, nurses, physician assistants, bioethicists, patient advocates, and other health professionals. I also have experience in providing genetic counseling to individuals with a family history of cancer, and other rare and common conditions.
This is a good question but not exactly easy to answer. The frequency of genetic conditions (how common they are) depends on the population you were looking at. For examples, caucasians are more likely to have cystic fibrosis than some other racial groups, and african americans are more likely to have sickle cell disease than other racial groups. In general, some of the most common genetic conditions include cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Down syndrome and other chromosome conditions, polycystic kidney disease, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. |
| McClesky Middle School in GA (7th grade student) |
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