A gene is a carrier of genetic information; it is located as a section of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) at a specific point on a chromosome in the nucleus of each cell of a body. The cells obtain information from the genes that they need for protein synthesis. Amino acids consist of protein and decide on the structure and function of cells. Each human cell contains between 30,000 and 40,000 genes within its chromosomes, the variants of which are known as alleles.

 

Each body has its own genetic code, DNA. The code consists of an alphabet with only four letters: A, G, T and C. These are the four nucleotide bases that make up DNA: Adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T) and cytosine (C).

The steps of the double helix ladder are formed from the letters of the DNA alphabet, while the handrail consists of special glucose molecules and other atoms. Adenine (A) and thymine (T), as well as cytosine (C) and guanine (G) are usually paired and form a sprout.

 

Man has two copies of each double helix. One comes from the paternal inheritance, the other from the maternal. Thus three possible variations can result for a letter combination, for A and T for example: AA, TT or AT/TA. For many genes, however, the actual variation is not particularly important.

 

It is thanks to the scientific progress of genetic research that information is available for more and more of these codes. Among other things, we need to know which gene pair variants have a possible influence on our health.

 

For example, FTO is a gene that controls appetite and cravings. Everyone inherits two variants (alleles) of the FTO gene, one from each parent. Therefore, it is possible to have two alleles representing the more active variant (TT), or two alleles leading to the less active variant (AA), or two different alleles of each variant (AT).

 

This means that the different gene variants of this FTO gene can be used to tend to lose weight more quickly or to carry an increased risk of obesity than other people.

 

In addition to the FTO gene, there are a number of other genes that intervene in a variety of ways in various functions of our body and whose different manifestations have an influence on health and disease.

Genetic variants of a gene inherited from our parents are called "single nucleotide polymorphism" or "SNP" for short. SNPs act as biological markers and can help locate gene alleles associated with diseases. Some of these genetic differences contribute significantly to the study of disease development and health maintenance.

 

In recent years, science has succeeded in identifying more and more SNPs that, for example, determine the genetic characteristics of individually different reactions to certain drugs, the susceptibility to certain environmental factors or the risk of developing possible diseases.

 

The genotype of a human being is that particular allele combination found in the genome, while the phenotype refers to all physical and morphological characteristics. Examples of phenotypic traits may be body size or hair colour. These traits are always the result of interaction between the genotype and various environmental factors, in addition to diet, exercise and stress, throughout a person's developmental stages. Weight is an example of a phenotype.