One of the most important tools underlying the revolution inmedical genetics is the ability to visualize sequence differencesdirectly in DNA. When studied in the context of a population,these differences in DNA sequences are called polymorphisms;they may occur in coding regions (exons) or noncoding regionsof genes. The ability to visualize thousands of DNA polymorphismshas made possible family studies for tracking genes of medicalimportance. This technique has located and identified genesfor many disorders with a clear pattern of mendelian inheritance,such as cystic fibrosis, the inherited muscular dystrophies,and neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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