Genetic Diseases
Genetic diseases and disorders are caused by mutations in one or more genes. Genetic diseases are a major cause of disability and death.
Genetic Diseases Encyclopedia Articles
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cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited metabolic disorder, the chief symptom of which is the production of a thick, sticky mucus that clogs the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. Cystic fibrosis...
dwarfism
Dwarfism, condition of growth retardation resulting in abnormally short adult stature and caused by a variety of hereditary and metabolic disorders. Traditionally, the term “dwarf” was used to describe...
Prader-Willi syndrome
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a rare human genetic disorder characterized by weak muscle tone at birth, small stature, intellectual disabilities, overeating leading to childhood obesity, and high rates...
albinism
Albinism, (from the Latin albus, meaning “white”), hereditary condition characterized by the absence of pigment in the eyes, skin, hair, scales, or feathers. Albino animals rarely survive in the wild because...
Tay-Sachs disease
Tay-Sachs disease, hereditary metabolic disorder that causes progressive mental and neurologic deterioration and results in death in early childhood. The disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive...
Marfan syndrome
Marfan syndrome, rare hereditary connective tissue disorder that affects most notably the skeleton, heart, and eyes. In Marfan syndrome a genetic mutation causes a defect in the production of fibrillin,...