Brief Description of Inheritance Patterns

Increasing data about the human genome and associations between certain genetic regions with various conditions and diseases positioned human genetics at the top of the most emerging fields in medicine. Many diagnostics algorithms and therapeutical approaches used in everyday practice are based on genetic data. Molecular genetic diagnostics covered by this book uses genetic data obtained using germline DNA. In this book, the role of somatic mutation testing will be not covered; however, in many chapters, i.e., on hereditary tumor syndromes, the role of somatic mutations as the second hit for tumorigenesis will be mentioned. Genetic variants (genotypes) identified in germline DNA are responsible for transmission of diseases (phenotypes). This chapter will briefly summarize classical inheritance patterns. Most of the heritable human diseases are transmitted in an autosomal recessive way, but others, i.e., inherited tumor syndromes, follow the autosomal dominant pattern. Nomenclature used for pedigree analysis as well as the main features of inheritance patterns are also briefly reviewed.

Primer in Genetics and Genomics, Article 5-Further Defining the Concepts of Genotype and Phenotype and Exploring Genotype-Phenotype Associations

As nurses begin to incorporate genetic and genomic sciences into clinical practice, education, and research, it is essential that they have a working knowledge of the terms foundational to the science. The first article in this primer series provided brief definitions of the basic terms (e.g., genetics and genomics) and introduced the concept of phenotype during the discussion of Mendelian inheritance. These terms, however, are inconsistently used in publications and conversations, and the linkage between genotype and phenotype requires clarification. The goal of this fifth article in the series is to elucidate these terms, provide an overview of the research methods used to determine genotype-phenotype associations, and discuss their significance to nursing through examples from the current nursing literature.