Molecular Genetic Pathology

Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The study of chromosomes and gene expression of an organism can give insight into heredity, genetic variation, and mutations. This is useful in the study of developmental biology and in understanding and treating genetic diseases. The subspecialty of Molecular Genetic Pathology employs testing of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) for disease diagnosis. A variety of tests for the presence of mutations in DNA, chromosomal translocations, and altered levels of RNA (gene expression) are used in four general areas of disease: