# Overview of analyses {: .ui .center .pink .aligned .header}

Our genetic makeup influences how our bodies function. If we inherit a significant error in the genetic code, it can increase the risk of developing certain genetic disorders. Discovering such genetic flaws can help doctors prescribe the appropriate treatment and preventive strategies. 

Environmental and lifestyle factors also play an important role in the development of certain health conditions. That is why in most cases, by modifying these two factors, we can influence how these diseases progress. 

At Xcode Life, we analyze your DNA for important genetic factors that influence disease risk. With this information on hand, you can make necessary lifestyle changes to reduce the chances of developing conditions you have a high genetic risk for. 

With your Gene Health report, you can now say goodbye to the generic one-size-fits-all information and move on to the new age personalized and unique health insights.

### The main goals of the genetic analysis are :

1. To align your lifestyle to your genetic makeup for reducing your risk for certain health conditions.
2. To draw attention to genetic risk for certain diseases, so that early detection through screening and timely treatment would be possible.
3. To adjust the dosage of medications according to our DNA in order to increase the safety and efficacy of the therapy.

### Personal genetic analysis can be useful for :

1. People with a family history of certain diseases
2. People who would like to adjust their diet according to their genes (for example, take more vitamins, avoid gluten, include more fiber)
3. People who would like to adjust their physical activities according to their genetic makeup. 

### Glossary 

1. **Allele:** An allele is one of two or more versions of a gene. You can imagine then as two sides of a coin. An individual inherits two alleles for each gene, one from each parent. If the same allele is inherited from both the parents (AA or TT or GG or CC), it is called homozygous inheritance. If the alleles are different (AT or GC or CT or AG), it is called heterozygous.
2. **Antioxidant:** Antioxidant is a substance that can protect the cells from damages caused by conditions of oxidative stress.
3. **Carcinogen:** Carcinogen is an agent (substance or radiation) that promotes the development of cancer. Carcinogens can cause serious damage either to the DNA or the metabolic functions of cells.
4. **Detoxification:** Detoxification, or detox for short, is a series of reactions carried out mainly by the liver to remove harmful substances from the body. This is done through a series of phases, where the harmful substances, also called toxins, undergo transformation to be eliminated by the body.
5. **DNA:** DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the instruction manual that holds information that enables all the cells in the body to carry out their functions. It is the central information storage system. The DNA has a twisted ladder structure, called the double helix structure, with each rung connecting two of the four letters, A, T, G, and C. These letters are called bases. 
6. **Cell:** The cell is the smallest functioning unit in the structure of an organism. It is covered by a membrane and contains the body's hereditary material. It also contains other parts called organelles (mitochondria, lysosomes, ribosomes), each of which has its own crucial function. 
7. **Cholesterol:** Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance essential for the structure of the cell membrane. It is also a component of certain hormones and some vitamins and is transported with lipoproteins through blood circulation.
8. **Chromosome:** A chromosome is a thread-like structure that houses all the DNA in a cell. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. The first 22 pairs are called autosomes or autosomal chromosomes, and the 23rd pair is called the sex chromosome. Each parent contributes one chromosome to each pair.
9. **Complex trait:** Complex traits have a genetic component that does not follow strict Mendelian inheritance (characteristic patterns of inheritance). It may involve the interaction of 2 or more genes or gene-environment interactions.
10. **Exome:** The exome is a part of the genome that contains the exons. An exon is a portion of the gene that contains instructions for producing proteins. 
11. **Enzyme:** Enzyme is a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in living organisms. The enzymes bind to the compounds involved in the reaction and modify them to fasten the reaction. 
12. **Genes:** Genes represent small segments of the DNA molecule, which are the structural units of heredity in all living organisms. They contain the information that influences your traits (features or characteristics) passed on to you. The human genome contains approximately 30,000 genes, which are located at specific positions on chromosomes.
13. **Genetic profile:** Genetic profile is the analysis of DNA from samples of body tissues or fluids. It provides information about specific genes, including variations and gene expression in an individual or in a certain type of tissue. It is a technique used to determine paternity, help diagnose a disease, learn how the disease may progress, and gauge the response to treatment with drugs or radiation.
14. **Genotyping:** A genome of an organism is its entire DNA, including all of its genes. It contains all the information required for both the building and sustenance of an organism. The genotyping test is one of the most inexpensive tests available. This test is also very popular among consumers since it is widely marketed by many direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic companies like 23andme and AncestryDNA to perform ancestry and health analysis. Genotyping reveals the differences in a sample DNA sequence by comparing it with the reference DNA sequence. As a simple example, if A-P-P-L-E is the reference gene sequence and the sample sequence is A-P-B-L-E, genotyping tests will be able to detect the P→ B change. This kind of change in a single letter is called a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Your genome contains around 4-5 million SNPs that may be unique to you.
15. **Genome:** A genome of an organism is its entire DNA, including all of its genes. It contains all the information required for both the building and sustenance of an organism.
16. **Glucose:** Glucose is a very important carbohydrate in biological systems. It is used by cells as a source of energy and is also an intermediate product of metabolism.
17. **Haplotype:** A haplotype is a group of gene changes that are inherited together. It can also be used to define a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms that are almost always present together. Since these sequences are present together, they are likely to be inherited identically over many generations. Information on haplotypes can be used to investigate the influence of genes on disease. 
18. **HDL Cholesterol:** HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) transports lipids through blood circulation. Due to its ability to remove cholesterol from arteries and transport it to the liver and prevent serious damages, it is also called "good cholesterol."
19. **Heredity:** Heredity is a biological mechanism where genetic information is transferred from parents to offspring.
20. **Heterozygous (heterozygosity):** If the allele inherited from each parent is different (AT or CG or AG or CT), it is called heterozygous inheritance.
21. **Homozygous (homozygosity):** If the same allele is inherited from both the parents (AA or TT or GG or CC), it is called homozygous inheritance
22. **Homeostasis:** Homeostasis is a state of equilibrium (balance) or the tendency to reach equilibrium. It is the ability of a living organism to regulate its internal environment in order to maintain a stable condition.
23. **Homocysteine:** Homocysteine is a common amino acid found in the blood. Homocysteine levels are typically higher in women than men and increase with age. The MTHFR gene helps your body break down homocysteine. Any mutations or changes in the MTHFR gene could interfere with this process leading to higher levels of homocysteine in the body. Elevation in homocysteine levels (hyperhomocysteinemia) is a significant risk factor for the development of a wide range of diseases, including thrombosis, cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric illness, and fractures.
24. **Immune response:** Immune response is the mechanism activated in the body to defend itself against harmful foreign substances that enter the body.
25. **Imputation:** A statistical method for estimating missing genotypes from a reference panel. 
26. **Inflammation:** Inflammation is a type of immune reaction in which the body activates certain types of cells to protect us from infections and other harmful foreign substances.
27. **Insulin:** Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas. It promotes glucose uptake by the cells of fat tissues, liver, and muscle from blood. 
28. **LDL Cholesterol:** LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) transports lipids through blood circulation. LDL is also called "bad cholesterol," as elevated LDL levels are harmful to the cardiovascular system.
29. **Lipid:** Lipid is a molecule naturally produced in the body for energy storage. Certain types of lipids are obtained through diet from fats contained in food. Examples of lipids include fats, oils, waxes, certain vitamins (such as A, D, E, and K), hormones, and most of the cell membrane that is not made up of protein.
30. **Metabolism:** Metabolism is the process by which large and complex things like food molecules and medicines are broken down into smaller components to produce energy, build or repair body tissue, produce hormones, etc. It is derived from the Greek word "metabole," which means change.
31. **Microarray:** It is a technology used to study many genes simultaneously. It consists of an array of DNA bits with known sequences. In a common type of microarray, a sample of DNA or RNA is added to the slide. Using the reference, the sequence of the DNA or RNA sample is determined. 
32. **Minor allele:** The less commonly occurring allele out of the pair is called the minor allele. 
33. **Mutation:** A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence that can occur due to mistakes when the DNA is copied or due to some environmental factors like smoking, infection by viruses, and exposure to UV radiation. Mutations can affect anywhere from a small portion of a gene to large segments of chromosomes. They can either be inherited from parents or can occur at some point during a person's lifetime due to any of the above-mentioned environmental factors. Most disease-causing gene mutations are uncommon in the general population. However, other genetic changes that occur more frequently are common enough to be considered a normal variation in the DNA.
34. **Next-generation/high-throughput sequencing:** DNA sequencing technology that permits rapid sequencing of large portions of the genome is called next-generation sequencing or NGS.
35. **Nucleotide:** Nucleotides are organic molecules that form the building blocks of DNA and RNA. Nucleotides have a simple structure themselves, but together, they form complex molecules like DNA. Common examples of nucleotides are Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine. They are commonly annotated as A, T, G, and C. Each nucleotide is made up of three components– a nitrogenous base, sugar, and phosphate group. These nucleotide bases have specific combinations that they combine. For example, adenine always pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA with double hydrogen bonds; cytosine pairs with guanine in both DNA and RNA using triple hydrogen bonds.
36. **Oncogene:** Oncogene is a type of gene that contains a change (or several changes) that contribute(s) to the development of cancer. Normal genes work towards promoting cell growth, but at the same time, stopping the growth when it is not required. Oncogenes, on the other hand, encourage non-stop cell division, thereby leading to cancer formation.
37. **Oxidative stress:** Oxidative stress occurs due to an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Free radicals are molecules that contain oxygen but are highly reactive as they have an unpaired electron. They attack the healthy cells to poach an electron from them. These reactions are called oxidation. They can be beneficial or harmful. Antioxidants donate their electrons to the free radicals, thereby preventing them from attacking the healthy cells in the body. 
38. **Phenotype:** The total observable nature of an individual resulting from the interaction of the genotype with the environment. Example: Eye color, height, blood glucose levels.
39. **Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms SNPs:** SNPs are defined as a single alteration in a DNA sequence that occurs in a significant proportion of a large population.
40. **Vitamin:** Vitamins are organic substances that enable the proper functioning of the body. Most vitamins can be found in the food that we eat. It is required for several functions like the production of skin, bone, and muscle, strengthening of the immune system, and converting food into energy.