Medical genetics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Medical Genetics is the application of genetics to medicine. Medical genetics is a broad and varied field. It encompasses many different individual fields, including clinical genetics, biochemical genetics, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, the genetics of common diseases (such as neural tube defects), and genetic counseling.
Each of the individual fields within medical genetics is a hybrid. Clinical genetics is a hybrid of clinical medicine with genetics. Biochemical genetics is a hybrid of biochemistry, mainly of amino acids and proteins, with genetics. Molecular genetics is a hybrid of the biochemistry of DNA and RNA with genetics. Cytogenetics is a hybrid of cytology and genetics; it involves the study of chromosomes under the microscope. Genetic counseling is a hybrid of genetics and nondirectional counseling.
Contents |
[edit] Nomenclature
Human genetics differs from medical genetics in that human genetics may or may not apply to medicine, but medical genetics always applies to medicine. The study of Huntington disease (a progressive neurologic disease) is properly part of both human genetics and medical genetics, whereas the study of eye color (except in situations such as albinism) is part of human genetics but not medical genetics.
- Genetic medicine is a newer term for medical genetics.
[edit] A Short History
Although genetics has its roots back in the 19th century with the work of the Bohemian monk Gregor Mendel and other pioneering scientists, human genetics emerged later. It started to develop, albeit slowly, during the first half of the 20th century. Mendelian (single-gene) inheritance was studied in a number of important disorders such as albinism, brachydactyly (short fingers and toes), and hemophilia. Mathematical appoaches were also devised and applied to human genetics. Population genetics was created.
Medical genetics was a late developer, emerging largely after the close of World War II (1945) when the eugenics movement had fallen into disrepute. The Nazi misuse of eugenics sounded its death knell. Shorn of eugenics, a scientific approach could be used and was applied to human and medical genetics. Medical genetics saw an increasingly rapid rise in the second half of the 20th century and continues in the 21st century.
[edit] Organizations
The more empirical approach to human and medical genetics was formalized by the founding in 1948 of the American Society of Human Genetics. The Society first began annual meetings that year (1948) and its international counterpart, the International Congress of Human Genetics, has met every 5 years since its' inception in 1956.
Medical genetics is now recognized as a distinct medical specialty in the U.S. with its own approved board (the American Board of Medical Genetics) and clinical specialty college (the American College of Medical Genetics).
[edit] External links
- American College of Medical Genetics
- American Board of Medical Genetics
- Journal of Medical Genetics
- Medical Genetics Institute
|
Subfields of genetics |
|---|
| Classical genetics | Ecological genetics | Molecular genetics | Population genetics | Quantitative genetics |
| Related topics: Geneticist | Genomics | Medical genetics | Reverse genetics | Molecular evolution |
