Genetics and Genomics by Devanshi V

Genetics and Genomics are two very similar fields in science but are not quite the same. Both fields involve the study of genes in the human body. The role of both genetics and genomics is very important to the health of the human race. They provide information on several different illnesses and help discover possible treatments. Scientists have made discoveries in these two fields that could help and save lives of many people around the world.

Let’s begin with genetics. Genetics is the study of a single gene. Genes, which are also referred as units of heredity, are important to the body’s health because they carry the instructions to make proteins. Proteins are vital for your cells and your body to function. Genetics help to understand why and what physical traits like eye color, hair color etc. are passed down from generation to generation. Inherited diseases like sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, etc. can be explained by studying genetics. Genetics is extremely valuable as it enables families to find out about the inherited diseases that a family member could potentially have. It also allows families to ask for the information of possible treatments available for these genetic diseases.

Now let’s move on to genomics. Genomics is the study of all of the genes in a person’s body. Genomics is the study of how each gene in the person’s body reacts with each other and how each gene reacts with the person’s environment. Some genomic diseases are heart disease, diabetes, asthma, etc. These diseases are considered genomic because they are caused by both genetic factors and environmental factors. Genomics is very important for family’s health because the study allows researchers understand why some people get infected with specific diseases and why some don’t get infected even though they have the same genetic makeup. For example, there are some people who exercise and eat healthy and die of a heart attack at age 50. There are also people who smoke, never exercise, eat unhealthy foods and live to be 80. Genomics can help understand the reasons

In Conclusion, advancements in genetics and genomics can help find cures for Cancer and other deadly diseases in addition to improving the life expectancy.