Genetic Anatomy
This is the basic physical building block for all life forms.
What is a cell?
What is the number of chromosomes that a human being typically has?
This is what we call a genetic change at the level of the genes.
What is a gene variant?
Abnormal cells that continue to replicate out of control.
What is cancer?
To identify changes in the genetic structure from what is considered typical.
What is the purpose of genetic testing?
All the genetic material is located in this part of a cell.
What is the nucleus?
23
What is the number of chromosomes typically present in the egg and sperm?
This is what we call a genetic change present at the chromosome level.
What is a chromosome abnormality?
When a cancer that starts in one part of the body spreads to another part of the body.
What is "metastasis"?
Germline genetic tests are done on these two types of samples.
What are saliva or blood?
Our DNA is "packaged" in these structures; humans typically have 46.
What is a chromosome?
This term means the same thing as "to replicate."
What is "to copy"?
This is what we call a genetic change that will not cause any harm.
What is a benign variant?
What we call a cancer that is caused by a gene variant that can be passed from generation to generation.
What is hereditary cancer?
This type of testing is used to evaluate a patient's risk of getting cancer in the future.
What is germline testing?
This is a segment of a chromosome that codes for a particular trait or function.
What is a gene?
This type of gene will be expressed if it is present on only one of the two matching chromosomes.
What is a dominant gene?
This is what we call a genetic change that is associated with some health or developmental problem.
What is a deleterious, clinically significant or pathogenic variant?
What we call a cancer that is caused by environmental factors or changes that happen with aging.
What is sporadic cancer?
This type of testing is used to choose the most effective treatment for an existing cancer.
What is tumor testing?
These are the four nucleotides that make up all of our genetic structure.
What are adenine, thymine, guanine and cytocine; also called A, T, G and C?
This type of gene must be present on both matching chromosomes in order to be expressed.
What is a recessive gene?
This is an older term for gene variant and always refers to a change that is deleterious.
What is mutation?
Cancer before age 50, bilateral cancer, cancer in multiple generations of a family.
What are red flags for hereditary cancer?
These three genetic tests are the ones most commonly done in cancer genetics.
What are single site analysis, individual gene testing, and gene panel testing?