Question Video: Recalling Who May Be Offered Genetic Screening Biology

Video Transcript

Why may a person be offered genetic screening before deciding to have a child? (A) They would like to choose the characteristics of their child before they are born. (B) They are currently suffering from an infectious disease caused by a pathogen. (C) They would like to determine their ancestry before starting their own family. (D) They have a history of a serious genetic disorder in the family and want to reduce the risk of passing it on.

To answer this question, we need to recall what genetic screening is and the reasons why it is offered to a person planning for parenthood.

Genetic screening is the process of studying a person’s DNA to identify genetic diseases and disorders or susceptibility to genetic diseases and disorders. Genetic screening works by studying a person’s DNA, which is our genetic material. It is the unit of inheritance that controls our characteristics, such as eye color and hair color. A section of DNA that codes for a particular characteristic is called a gene.

The risk and presence of certain diseases and disorders can be identified by looking at different sections of DNA for changes called mutations. By carrying out genetic screening on potential parents, they can better understand the risk of passing genetic disorders to their offspring, allowing parents to make informed choices about their potential offspring.

There are several different types of genetic screenings which can be offered for different reasons. Carrier testing is a form of genetic screening that is offered to people who have a family history of genetic disease but they themselves do not display symptoms. Preimplantation testing is a type of genetic screening that can be used to test embryos being used in in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Prenatal testing is carried out on pregnant mothers before the baby is born. It is typically offered to a person that is in at-risk or high-risk group, such as an expectant mother over the age of 35.

Newborn testing is carried out on newborn babies. This is to screen them for genetic disorders that can be treated early in life before they develop into something more debilitating. Presymptomatic testing is offered to people who have a family history of certain disorders for which they are not having apparent symptoms. This type of test is most common for disorders that develop late in life typically after the age of 40.

So, for a person deciding to have a child, the most appropriate genetic screening is one that can identify a history of genetic disease, such as carrier or preimplantation genetic screenings. With this information, we are ready to answer the question. A person may be offered genetic screening before deciding to have a child because they have a history of a serious genetic disorder in the family and want to reduce the risk of passing it on.