Are there any genetic diseases in your family? Let's learn exactly about (Autosomal Dominant) and (Autosomal Recessive)!

We all inherit certain things from our parents, right? Sometimes eye color, hair color, height... things like that. Similarly, we can inherit certain diseases from our ancestors. This is what we call genetic inheritance . Today we are going to talk about two main ways in which these genes are inherited, namely `(Autosomal Dominant)` and `(Autosomal Recessive)`. Although these may sound like a bit of scientific terminology, let's try to understand them simply.

What are the traits we inherit from our parents?

Simply put, everything you get from your parents is like your eye color, your hair texture, how tall you are. These are what we call inherited traits . The process by which we get these traits is called inheritance .

What is the inheritance pattern `(Autosomal Dominant)`?

This is one way that genetic traits are passed from parents to children. Imagine, if either the mother or the father has a certain genetic trait, and it is passed on as ``Autosomal Dominant'', then that trait can only be passed on to the child if only one parent has that altered gene. The important thing is that each child of a parent with such an ``Autosomal Dominant'' trait has a 50% (one in two) chance of getting that trait. That means a child may or may not get it. It's like flipping a coin. Remember, those things are only passed on to the children if there are changes in the ``Sperm'', ``Egg'', or ``DNA'' of the parents.

Simply put: In ``Autosomal Dominant'', the child inherits the trait when only one parent inherits a "dominant" gene.

So what is the pattern of inheritance of `(Autosomal Recessive)`?

This is another pattern of inheritance. But this one is a little different. A parent with an ``Autosomal Recessive`` trait will not show any symptoms. That is, they may not even know they have the gene. For the trait to be passed on to their children, both parents must be carriers of the altered gene for the trait. If both parents carry this type of "weak" gene, each of their children has a 25% (one in four) chance of inheriting the genetic condition/trait. That means the child could have the condition, or be a carrier of the gene, or be completely healthy. Here too, these are passed on to the children if there are changes in the ``Sperm``, ``Egg`` or ``DNA``.

Simply put: In ``Autosomal Recessive'', the child will only get that trait/disease if both the mother and father inherit the "weak" gene.

What does the word ``Autosomal`` mean?

`Autosomal` means that a gene is not on a sex chromosome, but on a numbered chromosome. Humans have a total of 46 chromosomes. You get 23 from your mother and 23 from your father, giving you 46. Of these, there are two sex chromosomes (X and Y). The other 22 chromosomes are numbered chromosomes. Only these numbered chromosomes use the `Autosomal` pattern of inheritance.

How do we inherit these traits? What happens inside us?

We inherit these characteristics from our mother's egg and our father's sperm. These contain our genetic material. It is a very complex system. Let's look at its main parts:

• ( DNA ): This is the main molecule that stores our genetic information.
• Genes : These are the specific parts of DNA. Each gene determines our individual characteristics.
• Chromosomes : These are structures made up of lots of DNA. Genes are found inside these chromosomes.

Think of it this way: chromosomes are like bookshelves. DNA is like the books on those shelves. Genes are like the chapters in those books. You get one copy of a gene from your mother and one copy from your father. That creates a pair of genes. These genes are inside your cells. These cells divide and make copies of themselves, which makes your entire body. When cells divide, the chromosomes and genes should be the same in every cell. However, sometimes, when these cells divide, there can be a mistake in the division of genetic material. That's what we call a mutation. This can change the function of that cell.

How do these inherited traits affect our bodies?

Inherited traits are what determine your physical appearance, how you look, and what makes you different from others. Sometimes, a mistake in cell division can cause a genetic mutation in your DNA. These mutations can cause genetic diseases. This means that the way cells grow and function can change. However, not all mutations cause diseases. Some mutations do not cause disease, but some mutations can cause serious diseases.

Where is `(DNA)` located in our body?

DNA is in almost every cell in your body. It's usually inside the nucleus, which is the control center of the cell. You are made up of trillions of cells.

What does `(DNA)` look like?

Your DNA is made up of four types of bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), thymine (T), and guanine (G). These bases are linked together to form base pairs: A with T, and C with G. These base pairs, together with a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule (called a nucleotide), form a spiral-shaped structure called a double helix. The base pairs are the rungs of the ladder, and the sugar and phosphate molecules are the rungs on either side of the ladder. Isn't that amazing?

How does a mutation change DNA?

A genetic mutation can occur when a cell divides or when a cell is exposed to a toxic substance. A mutation is a change in the double helix structure of DNA. This means that a gene is not where it should be on a chromosome. There are several main ways that mutations can occur:

• Substitution: One nucleotide is replaced by another.
• Insertion: An additional nucleotide is added to a DNA strand.
• Deletion: A nucleotide is removed from a DNA chain.

Even a small change like this can have a big impact.

What are the main genetic diseases that are inherited in an ``Autosomal Dominant'' manner?

There are several genetic diseases that are inherited in this pattern. Some examples are:

• Huntington 's disease
• Marfan syndrome
• Achondroplasia (a condition that causes short stature)

What are the main genetic diseases that are inherited as ``Autosomal Recessive''?

There are also genetic diseases that are inherited in this pattern. Here are some examples:

• Cystic fibrosis
• Sickle cell disease
• Tay- Sachs disease

These names may sound a little strange, but these are the names doctors use. If you ever hear about something like this, now you know it's genetic.

Are there tests to check the health of our genes?

Yes, there are various tests to detect genetic problems. A genetic test can identify changes in your genes, chromosomes, or proteins. These tests can detect mutated genes that cause genetic conditions. In particular, these tests help parents who are planning to have children understand the risk of passing on a genetic disease to their children.

Can't these genetic diseases be prevented from being passed on to children?

In fact, we cannot choose which genes we want to pass on to our children. Therefore, it is not possible to completely prevent genetic diseases from being passed on to our children. However, if there is a genetic disease in your family, you can talk to your doctor about genetic testing to understand your risk of passing it on to your child. You can also meet with a genetic counselor to discuss the test results and resolve any concerns you may have.

How do we keep our ``DNA'' healthy?

Although we cannot change the genes we inherit, we can do some things to reduce the damage to our DNA, that is, the formation of new mutations.

• Eat a good, balanced diet. Eating nutritious food is very important.
• Exercise. Keep your body active.
• Don't smoke . Smoking can damage DNA.
• Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink.
• Get regular wellness visits so that any problems can be identified early.

Remember, while these things can reduce new damage to our ``(DNA)'', they cannot change the genes we have inherited.

Final Take-Home Message

The genes we inherit from our parents make us unique individuals. Genetic conditions can be inherited in different ways. `(Autosomal Dominant)` and `(Autosomal Recessive)` are two of the main ways. If you are hoping to have a child, it is very important to talk to your doctor or a genetic counselor about whether there is a genetic disease in your family. Then you can get a clear understanding of your risks, the tests that can be done, and the steps you need to take next. I hope this information will be useful to you. If you have any questions, don't be shy to ask a doctor. Stay healthy!

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` Heredity, genes, DNA, Autosomal Dominant, Autosomal Recessive, genetic diseases, inheritance