Small polyps may be removed during this procedure and biopsies can be taken from areas where cancer is suspected. A thin tube is inserted through the rectum and used to view the bottom portion of the colon. Small polyps may be removed during this procedure and biopsies can be taken from areas where cancer is suspected Gene the set of instructions inside cells that determine a persons physical traits and also regulate who the body develops and functions Genetic testing technology used to detect genetic mutations that may cause a disease Genome the entire genetic make-up of a species. Currently, the Human Geneome Project is being conducting to identify all human genes Genotype the genetic make-up of an individual Hereditary passed on through genes from one generation to the next Karyotype a picture of the chromosomes Linkage a statistical clue that a gene is at least partially responsible for a disease Locus the physical location of a gene on a chromosome Mapping the process of finding the location of the gene responsible for a specific disease Marker a feature in the DNA that helps to specify a specific location on a chromosome. A marker may be a gene or it may be a unique area of DNA outside of a gene.
Genetic markers are useful mapping the location of genes and for doing linkage.
The markers themselves are not always the genetic feature that is causing the disease in a family, but looking for patterns of markers in the family can help determine the location of the disease causing gene Molecular refers to the basic building blocks of the genetic material, such as DNA, genes and the other chemicals involved with the functioning of genes Mutation an alteration in a gene that may cause disease or abnormal functioning of the body Oncogene a gene that when altered in certain ways helps transform normal cells to cancerous cells Pedigree a drawing of a family tree Penetrance the proportion of people with a given genetic mutation that show symptoms of disease.