Testing or treating genetic diseases

Question 1

What does genetic testing involve?

Answer 1

Analyzing a person’s DNA to see if they carry alleles that cause genetic disorders

Question 2

What is Antenatal Testing?

Answer 2

This is analyzing a person’s DNA or chromosomes before they are born

Question 3

When is Neonatal Testing used?

Answer 3

Just after a baby has been born

Question 4

What is Carrier Testing?

Answer 4

This is used to identify people who carry a recessive allele (eg the allele for Cystic Fibrosis)

Question 5

What is Predictive Testing?

Answer 5

This is used to detect genetic disorders that occur later in life

Question 6

What are the limits of genetic testing?

Answer 6

They are not available for every inherited disorder/not completely reliable

Question 7

When do False Positives occur?

Answer 7

When a genetic test has wrongly detected a certain allele/faulty chromosome

Question 8

When do False Negatives occur?

Answer 8

When a genetic test has failed to detect a certain allele/fault chromosome

Question 9

What is Gene Therapy?

Answer 9

Inserting copies of a normal allele into the chromosomes of an individual with a faulty allele

Question 10

Why is it illegal to perform Gene Therapy on sex cells?

Answer 10

Any changes would be inherited by the individual’s offspring