Week 4: Genomics/Life Course Theory/Epidemiology Flashcards
What is eugenics?
a scientifically inaccurate theory that humans could improve through selective breeding
What are some examples of eugenics in history?
the holocaust, forced sterilization of African Americans, segregration, and discrimination in the healthcare world
What are some health inequities involving genomics?
-all genetic knowledge is based on those from European descent
-access
-cost
-medical mistrust
-historical misuse of DNA (henrietta Lacks, fake vaccines in Pakistan)
What does the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protect?
it protects against the use of genetic information to discriminate in health insurance and employment.
e.g. if you have a genetic link to mental illness they can’t not hire you, or if you are genetically predisposed to breast cancer insurance companies can’t refuse you
What does GINA NOT! protect against?
-protect information about current health status
-life, diability, or long term care insurance
e.g. alzheimers gene may not be able to get life insurance
-applying for TRICARE (military insurance)
-certain groups such as small buisness, veterans, or federal insurance
-Any other applications such as for education or housing
What major event involving genomics happened in 1962?
genetics and genomic named as a nursing education priority
What major event involving genomics happened in 1998?
ANA added genetics/genomic to nursing scope of practice
What major event involving genomics happened in 2003?
completion of human genome project
How does the nurse use genomics in their practice?
-Direct consumer to genetic testing
-oncology
-pain management/anethsia
-psychiatric
-reproductive health
What is genetics?
the study of heredity and the transmission of characteristics from across generations
What types of tests are protected under GINA?
-family medical hx
-carrier testing
-prenatal genetic testing
-presymptomatic and predispositional testing
-analysis of tumors or any other assessments
what is a gene?
the most basic physical and functional units of heredity
what is a genome?
the total genetic makeup of an organism
What are the four nucleotides that make up DNA?
-adenine
-thymine
-cytosine
-guanine
what is a single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)?
a single base substitution in DNA
What can SNPs effect?
-what protein is produced by the gene
-how much protein is produced by the gene
What is a genotype?
the molecular structure of an organism
what is a phenotype?
the observable characteristics of an organism
What determines someone genotype?
inheritance from ancestors including singular nucleotides, number of copies of a coding sequence, and number of chromosomes
what determines someones phenotype?
based on genotype and environmental factors
what problems can happen to affect the phenotype?
-epigenetic modifications
-lack of protein binding sites or carriers
-lack of amino acids to code certain proteins
-misfolding of proteins
What mutations can happen to the genotype?
-a singular nucleotide
-number of copies of a coding sequence
-number of chromosomes
what is epigenomics?
study of molecular signals that tell the genome how to behave and their relations to health
what is exposomics?
study of how all the exposures of an organism alter its health
what are three domains of the exposome across the lifespan?
- general external environment
- specific external environment
- internal environment
what are examples of general external environment?
-urban environment
-climate factors
-social capital
-systematic racism
what are examples of specific external environment?
-specific contaminants
-diet
-physical activity
-tobacco
-infections
what are examples of internal environment?
-metabolic factors
-gut microflora
-inflammation
-oxidative stress
nonwhat are the four areas in The Complex Disease Phenotype Pathway in order from bottom to top?
-genetic susceptibility
-exposome
-epigenome
-disease
what is epigenetics?
the non-genetic influences on gene expression which serves as an on/off switch for gene expression
what is DNA methylation? and what does it mean for the geno and phenotype?
when methyl molexule serves asa roadblock to transcription. since there is no protein that means that they gene isn’t expressed and the phenotype changed
what is the main function of epigenetics?
to cause some genes to be silent and others to be active
how does public health address genetic susceptibility?
-Assess relationships between genetic and environmental factors
-minimize negative exposures
-support healthy behaviors
-precision medicine targeting specific genetic risk factors
What is Life Course Theory?
a body of theoretical models that attempt to explain how life contests shape health, behavior, and development