NR 507 Week 8 Genomes, Genetic Alterations, and Reproductive Disorders
University:
Chamberlain University
NR 507 Week 8 Genomes, Genetic Alterations, and Reproductive Disorders
Paper Instructions
This week, one of the concepts we read about is genotype (genetic characteristics) and phenotype (physical characteristics) in males and females. I am particularly interested in how genotype and phenotype influence disease states in twins and whether twins have the same health problems. The reading indicates if one twin is diagnosed with a disease, the other twin has a higher risk of developing the same disease. My question is, “Does the risk of getting a particular disease increase or decrease more among identical twins or fraternal twins?”
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Sample Answer
I did some research, and I found out the answer to your question. Twins share the same genes, but their environments become more different as they age. This unique aspect of twins makes them an exceptional model to considerate how genes and the environment donate to certain traits, extraordinarily complex behaviors, and diseases.
According to the article, an example of how genetic disease is when just one twin gets a disease, researchers can look for elements in the twins’ environments that are different. Or when both twins get a disease, researchers can look for genetic factors shared among similar twin pairs. These types of data are extraordinarily powerful when collected from large numbers of twins.
Such studies can help pinpoint the molecular mechanism of a disease and determine the extent of environmental influence, potentially leading to the prevention and treatment of complex diseases. To illustrate, for twins with schizophrenia, 50% of identical twins share the disease, while only about 10-15% of fraternal twins do. This difference is evidence for a strong genetic component in susceptibility to schizophrenia. However, the fact that both identical twins in a pair don’t develop the disease 100% of the time indicates that other factors are involved. I hope that helped to give you a better understanding of the disease process among twins.
Comparing Identical and Fraternal Twins
A higher percentage of disease incidence in both identical twins are the first indication of a genetic component. Rates lower than 100% in identical twins indicates that DNA alone does not determine susceptibility to disease.
Ingrid
Reference
- Insights from Identical Twins 2018, Retrieved from, https //learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/twins
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