Research Paper on:
Heredity and Disease: Analysis of a Case Study

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
optimum lifestyle? How can people improve their health? What are individual risks as far as genetics go? Obviously, much depends upon family history as many diseases are attached to a  single gene. In examining genetics, a case study submitted by a student will be used. In this particular case, a subjects parents are both living and do not have  any particular diseases. The subjects mother is overweight, smokes and has high blood pressure. Her father has no diseases and exercises regularly. The subjects siblings all smoke  cigarettes with the exception of one brother. Her maternal grandfather died early, at the age of 39, of heart disease; he smoked as well. The subjects maternal grandmother died rather  young also, from a blood clot; she smoked also. Her paternal grandfather however died of natural causes at the age of 82, and her paternal grandmother at the age  of 80, also of natural causes. The obvious issues which concern this family is smoking and smoking related illnesses as well as genetic illnesses concerning the heart and circulatory  system. What is most remarkable is the fact that her grandfather died at the age of 39 from heart disease. He smoked, which would have put him at greater risk  for dying of heart disease, regardless of his genetic makeup. Smoking is considered the number one risk factor for heart disease ("Risk," 1998). High fat and high cholesterol diets  also add to risk, as does a lack of exercise, the inability to manage stress, or excessive use of alcohol (1998). In this particular profile, the mother is overweight  and while the case does not indicate whether or not the grandfather who died early was overweight, obesity could have been a contributing factor. Lifestyle is obviously an important component