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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

You may have gotten away with saying that until 15 years ago when
genetic testing began. I have the BRCA genes, both 1 and 2.
Now, what I will say is this, that I believe that just because you have
the gene for something doesn't mean you will get that disease.  I know
there are environmental switches that can turn a gene, or a combination
of genes, on and off.  We can say, yes, that is a gene, and yes, that
one controls this thing, but what we can't see yet is whether or not a
gene is ON or OFF if there are no clinical symptoms. What is really
fascinating is that some research shows that the actions that I take
could switch a gene on or off, then I pass that gene on to my children
in it's on or off state.  They could go their whole life carrying a gene
in the "off" position, maybe passing it on to their children, OR they
could encounter some environmental trigger that switches an inherited
'off' gene to ON.  That is scary because, like Kristopher has alluded
to, my sins, like the 27 years I smoked cigarettes, could be passed on
to my children and grandchildren.  Perhaps my smoking switched on
something and my daughter inherits the ON gene.  It is scary to think about.
Right now, we don't know enough to really say for sure what the keys are.
I think what we will find, however, is a myriad of if-then genes.  You
know how a child with autism can be a savant?  For the lack of proper
terminology, call it a miswire..they may not be able to talk, but they
can compose beautiful music???  I think genetics may work in a similar
fashion....for example,,,,the gene for dwarfism may hold the key for the
disease of osteoporosis or certain bone cancers. I just made that up,
but I hope it makes my point.  We've mapped a lot of genes, but it takes
more than just mapping.  There are as many possible triggers/stimuli for
DNA mutations as there are chemicals(natural and man-made) on the planet.
People need to be more educated about cloning, and how it might take
thousands of failures before you get one success, and even that one
success will visually look different from its clone.  People never
realize that.  IMO, the future of cloning is for replacement parts.  If
we could grow skin quickly for burn patients, or breast tissue for
mastectomy patients, would that not be awesome?
I doubt we will figure it all out in my lifetime, thank god, because you
know that once they get close to determining genes and their triggers,
that some Monstrous Mengele will be trying to create some super race of
humans that never sick or die and are beautiful, yada yada...<shivers>

Bev

Gene GeRue wrote:

> Seems to me that genetic predisposition is both knowable and 
> preventable. I think that much of what is called genetic 
> predisposition is because of historical family habits in eating, 
> exercising, attitudes, and environmental conditions in the places 
> lived. I look at family medical history as informational and useful,
>  so I know what to guard against.

--
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to
hate. Hate leads to suffering.”        Yoda
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