Genetic diseases occur when there is a variation or alteration in a gene. Causes of genetic abnormalities include environmental, congenital and gene mutation within the cell that can occur at random. Inherited genetic diseases require a specific...
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that combines episodes of either mania and depression or hypomania and depression. People with bipolar disorder over periods of time experience individual episodes of mania and depression, and children often...
A surprising fact about genetics is that there are many syndromes that are termed "genetic," but have not been inherited from a parent. When DNA is passed from one generation to the next, it is copied. Generally, DNA is copied faithfully, however...
Genetic diseases are caused when a person inherits an abnormal or mutated gene. If an abnormal gene is "dominant," disease develops even if a person inherits the abnormal gene from only one parent and receives a normal gene from the other parent....
The skin, the largest organ in the body, protects the internal organs, prevents water loss, controls body temperature and provides sensory input. Skin contains three distinct layers. The outer layer, known as the epidermis, consists of three main...
Childhood leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells and begins in the bone marrow of the child. White blood cells help the body fight infection. In childhood leukemia, however, the bone marrow begins producing abnormal white blood cells which...
Multiple sources, including the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Heart Association, explain that despite popular opinion, cholesterol is not inherently bad. According to the AHA, cholesterol can either be consumed...
Cancer of the pancreas is on the increase in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute, NCI. It currently ranks fourth in causes of cancer deaths in the U.S. Pancreatic cancer arises in either of the two parts of the...
Bartter syndrome, also called Bartter's syndrome, is an inherited genetic defect that can lead to deficiencies in potassium and other minerals. If left untreated, Bartter syndrome can inhibit growth and even lead to kidney failure. There are a...
Breast cancer occurs when cells within the breast develop genetic mutations that cause the cells to grow abnormally fast. Eventually, these cells develop the ability to invade other tissues. Although breast cancer is most common in women...
When the skin is cut during surgery, a permanent patch of skin grows over the wound, according to MedlinePlus. Scars are typically pink or red in appearance. The severity of surgical scars depends on a variety of factors, including the depth of...
Genes are molecules of nucleotides that encode for the traits seen in organisms, including humans. Genes are the code used to create proteins. These proteins are used for human traits. Blue eyes, skin color, height and facial features are all...
Life begins when the fusion of an egg and sperm forms a single cell, which contains the DNA blueprint required to grow and develop into a complex organism. Almost all human cells contain a pair of each of 23 chromosomes--very large stretches of...
Inherited genetic diseases affect millions worldwide. Family health history is the biggest predictor of genetic disease. Research is ongoing to detect and treat genetic disease. The decision to be tested for genetic disease is often difficult and...
Genetics is the process in which parents pass certain genes onto their children. An abnormal gene that is passed down through the family may have only minor consequences, or it may have a dramatic impact on one's quality of life. Abnormal genes...
Genetic mutations cause permanent changes in a DNA sequence that makes up a gene, according to Medline Plus. Mutations can range in size, varying from a single DNA block to a large segment of a chromosome. Individuals inherit genetic mutations...
The majority of kidney stones form due to an overabundance of calcium in the urinary system. As calcium accumulates in the kidneys over time, solid calcium deposits can build up in the kidneys, break off as stones and travel through the urinary...
Hair loss in men and women can be triggered by a variety of habits and conditions, but a receding hairline is typically the result of the natural process of aging. A receding hairline, also known as male pattern baldness, involves a gradual...
Collagen is a protein that plays an important role in the development of bone. It is also a major component of connective tissue and tendons. Collagen is a flexible and stretchy protein that is used by the body to support tissues. Disorders of...
Each cell within the human body contains thousands of genes, which collectively make up the genome. Specific sequences of chemicals called nucleotide bases link together to form long stretches of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, called chromosomes....
For all the advances in medicine, a way to change the genes of a living person has not been discovered. As such, genetic syndromes generally have no cure. In some genetic disorders, effective treatments have been developed to ameliorate symptoms,...
Hair loss comes in many forms, but the type of hair loss most people inherit from their relatives through genetics is androgenic alopecia, commonly known as male pattern baldness. Although the term suggests that the condition affects only men,...
Breast cancer is the fifth leading cause of death in women, according to 2009 information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. The best way to detect breast cancer early is through a mammogram. The CDC recommends that women...
Type I diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes. Type I diabetes typically affects patients early in their lives, either in childhood or when they are young adults, although it can start later in life. Type I diabetes is caused by...
Many factors can increase the risk of developing painful kidney stones. Such factors include diet, heredity, age, sex and lifestyle. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, white males older than age 50...
Chronic liver disease is the 10th most common cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Chronic liver disease is actually a general term applied to many disorders of the liver, including hepatitis, which...
Baldness is a general term that describes unwanted hair loss. When the condition stems from genetic inheritance, it is called androgenetic alopecia. At one time, scientists believed that inherited baldness came from one particular side of your...
There are various conditions that can make it hard to distinguish the difference between certain colors. In some cases there is a complete loss of color vision, called color blindness. In other cases it becomes difficult to tell the difference...
A genetic disorder is caused when an abnormality in the genetic framework of an individual is present. Genes are passed from parents to child. When a mutation of a gene occurs, it prevents it from developing normally. Some genetic disorders are...
Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a disease wherein the body does not produce adequate, or any, insulin to control blood sugar, which can result in coma or death if insulin is not delivered into the body regularly. Learn more about diabetes type 1...
Sickle cell anemia is a blood disorder that results in decreased blood and oxygen flow. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for Sickle Cell Anemia in this video.
Sickle cell anemia or sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that causes some of the red bloods to assume a sickle or elongated shape, resulting in poor blood flow and improper oxygen delivery. Get expert tips and advice on preventing,...
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies. Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat, saliva and digestive juices. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and...
