Title: Familial disease | pathology | Britannica
Headings: Familial disease
Familial disease
pathology
Learn about this topic in these articles:
birth defects
cancer
growth aberrations

Content: Familial disease | pathology | Britannica
Familial disease
pathology
Alternative Title: familial disorder
Learn about this topic in these articles: birth defects
In human disease: Diseases of genetic origin
A familial disease is hereditary, passed on from one generation to the next. It resides in a genetic mutation that is transmitted by mother or father (or both) through the gametes to their offspring. Not all genetic disorders are familial, however, because the mutation may arise…
Read More
In human genetic disease
Rare, indeed, is the family that is entirely free of any known genetic disorder. Many thousands of different genetic disorders with defined clinical symptoms have been identified. Of the 3 to 6 percent of newborns with a recognized birth defect, at least half involve a predominantly genetic contribution. Furthermore,…
Read More
cancer
In human genetic disease: Genetics of cancer
…cancers are now recognized as familial, and some are actually inherited in an apparently autosomal dominant manner.