ike most people, you probably know a little something about genetics. You know that you pass on traits to your offspring. You may even know how many chromosomes you have: 22 pairs plus the sex chromosomes (two X chromosomes if you're female and an X and a Y chromosome if you're male), for a grand total of 46.

You know, by practical observation, that children born to the same parents can be quite different from one another, even wildly so. Are the differences 'genetic'? Are they a result of upbringing and environment? Or are they a combination of these influences?

Maybe you’ve heard about gene therapy, but are not clear about what it is or what scientists can do with the current techniques at their disposal.

Perhaps you’re aware of genomes, but not completely sure what they are. You may have some knowledge of genetically modified foods and the debate surrounding them.

For many people, the world of DNA raises many questions: How far has cloning progressed? Are designer babies possible? How much of my private genetic information might become public? Can I be victimized because of a genetic predisposition towards a particular disease or addiction? What kind of privacy protection can be offered?

Let your curiosity guide you through this section (and other sections) of this website. Perhaps some of your questions will be answered and some of your opinions and insights will become even more informed. This website does not offer all of the answers. As the study of DNA is still in its veritable infancy, science is only beginning to ask some of the questions.