“How much do you really know about health problems that may run in your family? Are there any that may affect you now or in the future? Or that may affect your children? Genetic testing can help people and their healthcare providers make more informed health care decisions. But there are some potential limitations of genetic testing to be aware of, too. Read on to learn more.
The background: What are genes/chromosomes?
Genes are found in chromosomes, which are located inside cells. Genes are the “instructions” that tell our bodies how to develop and function. They determine your physical traits, such as hair and eye color, how tall you are, even how you smile. They also determine your blood type and the likelihood of developing illnesses. Genes also carry information of medical characteristics that are passed down from your parents. You randomly get one set of 23 chromosomes from your mother and one set of 23 chromosomes from your father.
What is genetic testing?
Sometimes we have a change in one or more of our genes. This change is called a mutation. It can cause a number of medical conditions called genetic disorders. Examples of genetic disorders include Down syndrome (changes in the normal development of a person’s body and brain), sickle cell disease (which causes a severe form of anemia), and Turner syndrome (which leads to heart defects and growth issues in women).
Genetic testing involves laboratory testing of a person’s genes. The testing is done on a sample of blood, hair, skin, amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds a pregnant woman’s unborn baby), or other tissue from the body. The tests can show changes in genes that could increase the likelihood of certain genetic disorders.”
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