2011 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript

This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2011. 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.

---

391

Is there a genetic component to human behavior?      Arjun Prasad, Ph.D.: I am a post-doctoral Fellow working in bioinformatics at NHGRI. I'm very much interested in figuring out new ways to use new DNA sequencing technology and computers to learn about how genomes work, evolve, and influence human health. Human behavior has both a genetic and environmental components. An example of behaviorally related gene is the alcohol dehydrogenase allele that confers a lower risk of alcoholism, a behavioral disease. Northwestern High school in MD (12th grade student)

---

< View ALL questions and answers from 2011

Or, search the 2011 transcript by keyword:
(short, single keywords work best at first)