Key terms & definitions

Expert support that helps people understand genetic test results, inheritance risks and the choices available to them.

A diagram showing the possible chromosome or allele combinations that offspring could inherit from their parents.

A diagram showing the parental genotypes, the alleles in their gametes and the possible genotypes of their offspring.

The range of different alleles present in a population.

Changing an organism’s genome by introducing a gene from another organism to give a desired characteristic.

Modification of an organism's genome by introducing a gene from another organism to give a desired characteristic.

Deliberately altering an organism’s genetic material to give it desired characteristics, such as faster growth or resistance to disease.

The material that carries the biological instructions controlling a cell; it is made of DNA.

DNA that carries inherited information and instructions for making proteins.

A change to an organism's genetic material, such as inserting a gene that gives it a useful characteristic.

Changing an organism’s genetic material by altering or removing genes, or inserting genes from another organism.

An increased likelihood of developing a condition because of inherited alleles; it does not make the condition inevitable.

The likelihood that a person will develop a particular disease, estimated using genetic and sometimes non-genetic information.

An inherited gene change that increases the likelihood of developing a particular disease.

The study of genes and how characteristics, including some disease risks, are inherited.

The study of inheritance and variation in organisms.

An examination of DNA for particular alleles or genetic variants, often to estimate disease risk or inform healthcare and family planning.

Analysis of a person's DNA to identify particular genetic variants, such as alleles associated with disease.

A version of a region of DNA whose base sequence differs from another version.

A version of a region of DNA with a different sequence of bases.

Variation caused by differences in inherited genetic material.

Differences in genetic information between individuals in a population.

An inherited susceptibility that increases the likelihood of developing a condition, without making it inevitable.

The 1954 agreements following France’s defeat in Vietnam, providing for a temporary division at the 17th parallel and elections in 1956 to reunite the country.

Four international treaties agreed in 1949 that provide major protections for victims of armed conflict.

The deliberate destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

An organism’s complete set of genetic material.

All the genetic material of an organism.

The complete genetic material of an organism.

Determining the order of nucleotide bases in DNA; whole-genome sequencing reads this order across an organism’s genome.