Question

How might temporal (time) trends impact the interpretation of the influence of genetics on health outcomes?

Answer 1

Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variations and heredity in living organisms. This branch of biology mainly involve study of trait inheritance but with the passage of time, the modern genetics have expanded beyond inheritance to studying of functions and behavior of genes.

Genetic variation describes the naturally occurring genetic differences in the individuals of same species. This variation permits survival with the changing face of environmental circumstances. The time trends impact the interpretation of the influence of genetics on health outcomes. Monitoring temporal changes in the population genetic diversity and effective population size can provide vital information on future viability. Assessing the temporal change in genetic variation in a population provides both historic and contemporary information and can reveal previous population bottlenecks, effects of genetic drift and whether genetic variation is increasing or decreasing in population.

The measure of temporal trends helps to understand

• The variations that takes place in any species with the impact of certain diseases, its causative agents, the virulence of organisms, its pathophysiology.
• It also helps to understand how the human body tends to get adapted with the change of time.
• It provides a pathway to identify the genetic changes the body will make with the use of certain chemicals and thus help to evolve new strains of drugs.
• These trends with the study of changes in the function and behaviour of genes can invent solutions to many health hazards and thereby improving the health outcomes.
• Not only on health outcomes but also these trends impact the field of agriculture and other environmental related issues.
• It has also served in field of pathological studies like heredity test called DNA test and also provided basis for genetic counseling.