Will we also get diseases from our generation? (Autosomal Dominant & Recessive Inheritance) Simply

You too have probably been told at home, "These eyes are just like my mother's," "My hair is just like my father's," or "This temper is just like my grandfather's." In fact, we get many things from our parents, such as our appearance, height, skin color, and hair texture. We call this inheritance. But did you know that some diseases and health conditions can also be inherited from generation to generation? Today, let's talk about what this genetic inheritance is and how diseases are passed from generation to generation.

First, let's understand this story of genetic inheritance.

To understand this, we need to talk about some of the most basic things about our bodies. Think of our bodies as a big library.

• Chromosomes: The books in this library are called chromosomes. There are 46 of these books in every human cell. Of these, 23 are inherited from the mother and the other 23 from the father.
• Genes: Genes are the recipes written inside those books. One recipe tells you what hair color you will have, another tells you what eye color you will have, another tells you what height you will have... There are thousands of recipes like this.
• DNA: The letters that write the recipes are called DNA. These letters called DNA come together to form genes, and genes come together to form chromosomes.

So, since you get 23 chromosomes each from your mother and your father, you get two copies of each gene. One from your mother, one from your father. These genes determine everything in your body.

Now, what does the word 'Autosomal' mean? Of the 46 chromosomes in our body, two determine our gender. They are called sex chromosomes (X and Y). The remaining 44 chromosomes (22 pairs) are numbered. Autosomal means that a particular gene is located on one of these 22 numbered chromosomes.

The two main ways diseases are inherited (Autosomal Dominant & Recessive)

An altered gene that causes a disease is passed from generation to generation in two main ways. Let's look at these two ways to make them easier to understand.

Autosomal Dominant: One gene, more power!

Simply put, Dominant means 'dominant' or 'strong'. In this system, the altered gene that causes the disease is very strong. So, even if a child inherits the gene from just one parent, it is enough for the child to develop the disease.

Therefore, if someone in the family has an Autosomal Dominant disease, it is clearly seen from generation to generation. If either mother or father has it, each child has a 50% risk.

Examples of diseases inherited in an autosomal dominant manner:

• Huntington's disease: A disease in which nerve cells in the brain gradually die.
• Marfan syndrome: A condition that affects the body's connective tissues, causing a tall and thin body, long limbs, and fingers.
• Achondroplasia: A leading cause of dwarfism.

Autosomal Recessive: Requires two genes, can be hidden!

Recessive means 'silent' or 'underlying'. In this case, the altered gene that causes the disease is not very strong. For it to have an effect, the gene must be inherited from both the mother and the father. Only if both genes are combined will the child develop the disease.

Imagine, both parents are healthy. But they could both be "carriers" of this altered recessive gene. That means they have both the healthy gene and the gene that causes the disease. But because the healthy gene is dominant, they don't show any symptoms. It's like putting a drop of blue paint in a bucket of white paint. The color won't change much.

But when two carrier parents like this have a child, here's what can happen:

• There is a 25% chance that the child will receive both healthy genes from the mother and father and be completely healthy.
• There is a 50% chance that the child will be an asymptomatic carrier, like the parents.
• There is a 25% chance that a child will inherit the disease-causing gene from both the mother and father and develop the condition.

Therefore, even if no one in the family has the disease, a child may suddenly develop a disease. This is because the parents are unknowingly carriers.

Examples of diseases inherited in an autosomal recessive manner:

• Cystic fibrosis: A disease that affects the lungs and digestive system due to the thickening of mucus (fluid like mucus) in the body.
• Sickle cell disease: An anemia caused by a change in the shape of red blood cells.
• Tay-Sachs disease: A fatal disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

How do mutations occur in genes?

Sometimes, when our cells divide, small mistakes happen in the copying of DNA. It's like a letter moving around when copying a book. We call these genetic mutations. These are not always bad, and some of them have no effect at all. But some mutations can change the way a gene works and cause diseases.

There are several main types of deformities:

• Substitution: The replacement of one letter in the DNA code with another.
• Insertion: The addition of an extra letter to the DNA code.
• Deletion: The removal of a letter from the DNA code.

Even this small change can completely change the function of the protein produced by the gene and cause disease.

What should you do if you have doubts about this?

If someone in your family has a genetic disease, or if you are a couple planning to have a child and feel at risk, the best thing you can do is talk to your doctor about it.

Nowadays, there are services such as genetic testing and genetic counseling.

• Genetic tests:These can identify any changes in your genes, chromosomes, or proteins. These tests help determine whether you have a mutated gene that causes a disease, or whether you are a carrier.
• Genetic counseling: A genetic counselor can help you understand these test results, talk about the risks to your family, and plan for the future.

Can we maintain the health of our DNA?

Although we cannot change the genes we inherit from our parents, there are several things we can do to minimize the damage to our DNA throughout our lives and maintain its health.

• Eat a well-balanced diet. Nutritious foods help keep our cells healthy.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise improves the overall health of the body.
• Avoid smoking completely. The chemicals in tobacco can directly damage DNA.
• Limit alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption is also harmful to cells.
• Seek timely medical examinations and advice. It is very important to identify any problem at an early stage.

These things can keep our overall health good.