630 West 168th Street
P & S Box 16
New York, NY 10032
phone: (212) 305-9188
fax : (212) 305-2526
Epilepsy Family Study
of Columbia University
Click here to apply through our
secure on-line Form
 Genes
are the basic units of inheritance. They are made of a chemical called
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. |
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| Each
of our genes influences a specific trait (e.g., eye color, hair color,
blood type, etc.). Many traits are partly influenced by the genes
and partly by the environment. For example, people sometimes change
their hair color by using dyes or highlighting, or change their eye
color by wearing tinted contact lenses. So sometimes it is hard to
tell whether a given characteristic is determined by genes, environment,
or both. |
||
| Human
beings have approximately 20-30,000 pairs of genes. One member of
each pair comes from the mother, and the other from the father. |
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| Our
20-30,000 gene pairs are organized into 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each
chromosome contains a different set of genes, lined up in a specific
order, like houses on a street. |
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| A
specific gene is always located in exactly the same place on a specific
chromosome. |
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| To
find an epilepsy gene, we begin by finding its precise chromosomal
location (its "street address"). |
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| This
narrows down the search to a small number of genes on a small part
of a chromosome. |
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| Once
we have narrowed down the number of possible "culprits,"
we look to see whether people with epilepsy have a mutation in a specific
gene in that chromosomal area. |
and epilepsy?
volunteering
provide any advice regarding
treatment of epilepsy.
The Epilepsy Foundation
may have information to help you.
National Institutes of Health.
write to us if you have
any questions about our study.
1-877-EPI-GENE
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