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by Melanie Modlin
What is a gene, exactly? And what's a chromosome? How
does DNA come into this picture? And now that you're
asking, how can it be that diseases like Alzheimer's
and breast cancer are inherited in some cases, but not
in all?
By now, most of us have heard and read about the mapping
of the human genome — the "instructional
manual," if you will, for a person. You probably
have countless questions about the genome and other
topics in genetics now that genes are making headlines
on an almost daily basis.
A new web site from NIH's National Library of Medicine
(NLM) called Genetics Home Reference, at http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov,
is a great place to start looking for answers. Created
for the general public, the site's explanations are
straight and simple, and written in easily understandable,
jargon-free English.
Many of you may grasp the basics of genetics but want
to learn more. If you're the sort of person who remembers
"a little from their high school biology class,"
you can take a quick refresher course by clicking the
"Help Me Understand Genetics" page. There
you will learn about, for example, how genes can be
turned on and off in cells, what it means if a disorder
seems to run in a family, and the principles of gene
mutation.
If you have questions about a specific disease, you
can browse by disease/condition or even by gene. If
you type in "Alzheimer's disease," for instance,
a page appears where the information is written in a
question and answer format. You'll find out how people
inherit Alzheimer's, the disease's symptoms, and what
treatments are available. There's also a geographic
listing of genetic counselors and information for caregivers.
In addition, you can easily find details on the specific
genes related to Alzheimer's.
Other features of the new web site are a glossary of
genetic terms, links that take you to clinical trials
related to the disorder you're researching, and more
advanced genetic information. Genetics Home Reference
will be adding genetic diseases on a regular basis,
and the information will be updated as needed.
"The American public is increasingly turning to
the Web for medical information," Dr. Donald A.B.
Lindberg, director of the National Library of Medicine,
explains. "The launch of Genetics Home Reference
was a logical step in making genetics and its relationship
to disease more understandable to the general public."
More and more, genetics will become a key component
of medicine and science. Many people already need to
make life-altering decisions because of their genetic
background. The biotechnology revolution is well underway
and will unquestionably continue to alter medical practice.
If you want a better grasp of genetics, here's your
chance. Visit Genetics Home Reference at http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov.
— a report from The NIH Word on Health, August
2003
For more information, contact:
Melanie Modlin
Public Affairs Specialist
National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
301-496-7771 (phone)
301-496-7831 (fax)
mm354i@nih.gov
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