The extent to which a particular trait is inherited. Studies of heritability typically estimate the proportion of observed variation in a particular trait – for example, height – that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors.
One of the most innovative developments to arise from the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, and the International HapMap Project in 2005 has been the exploration of how and why changes in DNA can predispose individuals to disease. A popular method for identifying causative...
Researchers from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences in Tehran, Iran, have stumbled upon two heritable mutations that lead to infertility in men. The finding, published last week in the American Journal of Human Genetics, has opened up a promising avenue of research for the...
Plans for a new database of 300,000 pairs of twins have been unveiled by researchers at Kings College London. The £20 million TwinBank project will be ten times larger than the biggest twin samples assembled previously and will allow scientists to investigate the genetic and environmental origins...
A new type of brain scanner has revealed that inherited genes have a much greater effect on intelligence than was previously thought. The scanner measures how well nerve fibres are encased in protective and insulating fatty myelin, a good covering of which results in faster nerve impulses...
A study shows that people who have a parent with Alzheimer's disease or dementia may be more likely to have poor memory in middle age, if they also carry a gene called ApoEe4. The findings were presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in...
For the first time scientists have identified genes that influence whether we are financial risk-takers or not. These two genes regulate the hormones dopamine and serotonin that are involved in brain-signalling and affect mood, novelty-seeking and the sense of reward. Researchers from Northwestern University, US, found that...
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (previously manic depression) may be different manifestations of the same disease, according to a new study published in The Lancet medial journal last week. While hundreds or even thousands of genes, plus environmental factors, may contribute to the development of either condition, some...
There is an international trend to greater public participation in government decision making, resulting in a movement toward 'public consultation' or 'public engagement'. These require two-way communication, transparency of the decision making process and meaningful incorporation of public input into that process. However, in practice, much consultation involves tightly-scripted opportunities...
British and Australian scientists have found that a person's genes can predispose them towards happiness. Reporting in the journal Psychological Science, the researchers found that genes account for 50 per cent of the factors contributing to an individual's satisfaction with life, with external influences such as health...
Consumers' ability to obtain laboratory test services directly and without a medical order is increasing. Is this a good thing? Direct to consumer, otherwise known as direct access, clinical testing has been permitted for many years in some, but not in all states within the US. This disparity suggests that...
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