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11 votes
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What is the difference between mutation and variant?

A mutation is just a genetic change. Mutations include point changes that are simply changes of one base to another (e.g., an "A" to a C, G, or T/U), insertions or deletions of single bases, ...
Bryan Krause's user avatar
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10 votes

Why is the new mRNA vaccine unable to modify human DNA?

Roman Zieliński seems to be intentionally misleading you by making an implausible circumstance that is technically possible sound like a likely outcome. This strategy is not unusual among people who ...
Bryan Krause's user avatar
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9 votes
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Child has A+ blood group when both parents are O+

Although such cases are undoubtedly rare, they are not impossible. Here's a case report from 2005: Apparent deviation from Mendelian rules of blood group inheritance is rarely observed. Blood group O ...
got trolled too much this week's user avatar
7 votes

Why is the new mRNA vaccine unable to modify human DNA?

To supplement Bryan's answer (although I'm not going to say anything fundamentally different here), according to their proponents, mRNA vaccines are considered the safest genetic vaccines (in this ...
got trolled too much this week's user avatar
6 votes
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Is the code from the mRNA vaccine executed by the cells as a one-off?

Basically neither of your hypotheses is correct. A piece of mRNA isn't usually destroyed after one transcription. Nor does it create an "infinite loop" in the cell. Instead there's a balance ...
got trolled too much this week's user avatar
5 votes

Why is Down Syndrome so common relative to other chromosomal conditions?

I found the answers in a fascinating, and easy to read paper in Nature, called "Chromosomal Abnormalities: Aneuploidies" Here are some key insigths from there: With few exceptions, trisomies do ...
wisdom_seeker's user avatar
4 votes
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Is there a real life genetic disorder that can be considered as the opposite of achondroplasia?

Achondroplasia is caused by very specific genetic changes of the FGFR3 gene encoded on chromosome 4. According to the GeneReviews on Achondroplasia: The p.Gly380Arg pathogenic variant resulting in ...
Ian Campbell's user avatar
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4 votes
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Is there any statistical overlap between people who identify as non-cis and people who have an unusual number of sex chromosomes?

Fernández and colleagues appear to have addressed your question (2018. PMID 29892954): To investigate the possible influence of karyotype on the etiology of Gender Dysphoria we carried out the ...
Ian Campbell's user avatar
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4 votes
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What effect would a sperm containing XX have on a ovum and fetus?

Well, neglecting anything but the pure genetics' basics, yes, the XX mother will in any case transfer her X chromosome, just like the assumed "XX father", so the only possible genotype for the child ...
practiZ's user avatar
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4 votes
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Strange hair growth behavior

There are more possible causes, other than generics, as described here: Stress Stress can also affect your hair. A 2013 study found a connection between stress and a depletion of stem cells in ...
Shadow Wizard's user avatar
4 votes

Revealing a murderer based on a genetic condition

I'm writing a story, in which the detective will recognize a prescription for the victim is for relief of some genetic condition. You wanted to be realistic: In the autopsy report (after any murder, ...
Narusan's user avatar
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3 votes

What are the genetic predispositions, if any, for covid-19?

The only data we have suggesting a genetic resistance to Covid-19 so far is that blood group O is protective and so is being female. The latter may relate to the numbers of ACE2 receptors since the ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
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3 votes
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Are dimples and cleft-chins (aka dimple chins, butt chins) genetic?

DIMPLES Professor McDonald, citing limited research, concludes dimples have been mislabeled as genetically inherited and as a dominant trait. However, the University of Utah considers dimples an "...
Prince's user avatar
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3 votes
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"Disease X is allelic with disease Y" - what is the meaning of "allelic" here?

According to Humpath.com, allelic diseases are two different diseases caused by mutations of the same gene. Two or more different errors at the same gene can result in two or more different diseases. ...
Jan's user avatar
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3 votes

Why is gene therapy more effective in children than in adults, if proteins can be recreated once the genes have been corrected?

Brains don't come pre-equipped to understand sensory input, brains form learned associations with different inputs and contexts. Critical periods are times in development where these processes happen, ...
Bryan Krause's user avatar
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3 votes
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How to determine the chances of inheriting an autosomal recessive disease if the carrier status of parents is unknown?

Let's say that the families of partner 1 and partner 2 have no history of similar autosomal recessive disorders and we can therefor assume but not exclude (by natural mutation chance) they are not a ...
Bryan Krause's user avatar
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3 votes

How did hereditary diseases originally start?

You are almost spot on! Children usually do not have exactly the same DNA as their parents, because it is evolutionarily wise to allow some new traits to emerge. So, there can be spontaneous mutations ...
Narusan's user avatar
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3 votes
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Decide parent and child from DNA

There is one case where you might be able to differentiate parent and child, taking advantage of the fact that mitochondrial DNA is only inherited from the mother. If one genome is female and the ...
Charles E. Grant's user avatar
2 votes
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What is cloning used for?

Summarizing their methods a bit, the steps are: Use PCR to amplify (make lots of copies) of the gene of interest ("The target regions of ELN were amplified by PCR") Clone the PCR products ...
Bryan Krause's user avatar
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2 votes
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What is the probability that a couple has no common defective gene?

"If a couple has no common defective gene, they can produce a big healthy population from just two people, right?" No. As described in the review "The genetic basis of disease" ...
Armand's user avatar
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2 votes

Technology prospects for genome sequencing at home and data protection

I am working in the information security industry and personally following medical technology closely. Your first question kind of asks to predict the future, which nobody can. Yet, I will give you my ...
Bob Ortiz's user avatar
  • 1,059
2 votes

Is it possible for obesity to occur as a result of medical conditions and not just over-eating?

As far as medical conditions, it could be a thyroid problem, or the need to encourage serotonin, and I am sure many other things a doctor would know about so ask a doctor. Another article: magnesium ...
Gordon's user avatar
  • 392
2 votes
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Can a young person with hemochromatosis have normal iron levels?

If the person is a HFE homozygote, or a compound heterozygote, then they need to be monitored yearly for signs of iron overload. Iron overload occurs more quickly if there is concurrent alcohol use ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
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2 votes
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COVID-19 and genomic sequencing

This implies to me that there will be some sort of genetic signature attached to the virus by the person acting as a vector. The people don't attach anything to the virus, but the viral genome does ...
Bryan Krause's user avatar
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2 votes
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Is it possible that there are some people who cannot get Type 2 diabetes?

I think you're confused by what is meant as a genetic disease. A disease like Huntingdon's Chorea is a genetic disease because we know the genetics, and we know that it occurs due to mutation in an ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
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2 votes

Is being of direct African ancestry a risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease?

As pointed out in the question, there are immune differences between those of African ancestry, and those from out of Africa. We know from genetic studies that there is a major difference between ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
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2 votes
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23andMe DNA Test is reliable?

I would like to start by saying that 23andMe performs its genetic test in CLIA certified laboratory. Processes like DNA extraction, purification, measurement can only be done under laboratory ...
user13763's user avatar
1 vote

Technology prospects for genome sequencing at home and data protection

The first question relates to the retail price floor of genome sequencing hardware. As with any commercial product, price depends on demand. I don't envision much demand for home genome sequencing, ...
Iron Pillow's user avatar
1 vote
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on what metabolism depends

Well metabolic rate is determined by many factors. Hormones: BMR is regulated by the thyroid glands. The T3 and T4 hormone levels increase or decrease the BMR. Body Mass: BMR is directly proportional ...
holyknight's user avatar
1 vote

Can viruses be inherited?

A Universal childhood virus is inherited in DNA. A virus that causes a universal childhood infection is often passed from parent to child at birth, not in the blood but in the DNA, according ...
Prince's user avatar
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