Molecular genetics and heredity: An introduction

Understanding on human inheritance has significantly improved these last 20 years. Even if monogenic diseases study brought important informations on the functionning of genes and deciphering of human genome on its organization, knowledge has evolved and has changed our view of heredity. Mendel laws applied to monogenic disorders are not any more sufficient to explain transmission of our characters. Genome regulations and its interactions included with environnement demonstrate the complexity of transmission of our traits and the resulting adjustments acquired and hereditary alike for each individual. Moreover, human genetic is inadequately familiar to physicians and biologists and is insufficiently taught in medical universities. In this paper, we remind some important and current notions on human molecular genetic in order to help the non specialist physician or biologist to answer genetic questions to a consultant. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits reserves.