Human genetic variation of medical significance
This chapter reviews evidence on medically significant genetic variation in humans. Extensive amounts of normal genetic variation occur in humans, and every independently conceived individual is genetically unique. The distribution of genetic variation in populations is the product of a human evolutionary history that has included selection and random genetic drift influenced by migration, demography, and isolation. The major features of genetic variation in modern humans are the large amount of variation in Africa and the loss of variation in the expansion out of Africa. Against the background of allele frequency variation around the world, it is difficult to identify which loci have been subject to natural selection varying among geographic regions. That normal genetic variation can affect health in surprising and complex ways is illustrated by how metabolism and taste perception are related to alcoholism.
Keywords: human genetic variation, African origin, alcoholism, ethanol metabolism, taste perception
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .