Is Disease “Inheritance” More Random than Once Thought?

November 23, 2007

Random and frequent cellular deactivation of one of two gene copies could potentially change a genetic outcome. New research shows that cells often randomly deactivate one of a pair of gene copies or alleles, one of which they get from mom, the other from dad. This inactivation may potentially help explain why some children in a family may exhibit certain heritable disorders, whereas others do not. (Scientific American)