What is quantitative genetics?
Quantitative genetics is the study of a natural variation of phenotypic or easily observed genetic properties such as the height and eye color. In some scientists, it focuses on features influenced by both genotype, inherited genetic information that people transmit to their descendants, and environmental pressures. Statistical analysis of these qualities can provide particularly important data on human populations. In this approach to genetics, scientists create information about the distribution of various physical features and use this information to deepen the understanding of genetic inheritance and natural variations in the population. Height is a classic example. People are not either salt or short, instead run a range of heights that may vary between populations. For example, some regions tend to have lower average height, while others may be much higher. The genotype plays a clear role here, as well as the environment, because factors such as malnutrition can affect development. This information can be used to explore the role they haveIt eats genetics and the environment in the manifestation of features of interest and examine the population of special interest. Some of this information can provide important tools for medical diagnosis and treatment. For example, growth graphs used in pediatric offices are based on the quantitative analysis of the child's genetic properties and development.
continuous features that fall along the distribution curve can be affected by several alleles that can complicate the way they express. Understanding full natural variations of genetic properties and environmental factors that can play roliznaks in some, scientists can collect information about which genes are involved and how they interact with each other. In analyzing various genetic populations, this research can help scientists identify the characteristics unique to specific groups. This aspect of quantitative genetics can also be useful for the study of geneticthe disease.
Advanced degree is often necessary to work in quantitative genetics. Scientists must have thorough establishment not only in genetics, but also in mathematics and the application of complex equations to data sets. Statistical analysis is an important part of this work because scientists learn to identify the features of special interest and assign them a score based on their importance and where they fall along the distribution curves. Academic institutions, private companies and government agencies all conduct research in this area of genetics and provide people with many jobs.