Fundamentals of Genetics

Each of the 100 trillion cells in the human body (with the exception of red blood cells) contains the entire human genome - all of the information necessary to build a human being. Inside the cell nucleus, six feet of DNA are packaged into 23 pairs of chromosomes. Chromosomes contain the DNA for hundreds of thousands of individual genes, the units of heredity. Each gene is a double-stranded DNA that holds the recipes for making a specific molecule, usually a protein.

Proteins are made up of polypeptide chains that in turn make amino acids, which are the body's essential components of all organs and chemical activities. Some proteins, called enzymes, control the chemical reactions that occur within living things. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a single-stranded molecule located outside the nucleus that carries out the orders for a protein synthesis issued by DNA.

Genes are expressed in two steps. The first step is transcription, which is the process by which genetic information contained in the sequences of bases (genes) in DNA is transferred into a complementary sequence of bases in RNA.

The information is further deciphered in the next step, translation, which converts genetic information carried in the sequence of bases in RNA into a sequence of amino acids that determine a particular proteins structure and activity in the cell.

A gene mutation is a permanent change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene. Mutations range in size from small to large. Gene mutations can be inherited from a parent or acquired during a person's lifetime.

X-rays, viruses, toxic chemicals and drugs can increase the likelihood of a change to the DNA, causing mutation that may lead to cancer and other disorders of the body. - Human Genetics

The environment in which you grow up is as important as your DNA in determining the person you ultimately become. Certain genes lead to vulnerability, but not inevitability.

Just as genetics play a role in the development of many health conditions, so do the conditions and circumstances of our lives and the decisions we make. For example, some people may have genes that put them at risk for cancer. However, their chance of actually getting cancer will be less if they do not smoke. Some individuals have genes that put them at risk for diabetes, but they may never get diabetes if they engage in a healthy lifestyle.

The major function of your genes is to transmit health and the inborn resolve to remember wellness. In the sickness paradigm, we are taught that disease-carrying genes determine our destiny. This is a false view. If we were truly destined to live by our genes, we would suffer from the thousands of diseases experienced by our ancestors for as long as we lived, which would not be very long at all. Disease-carrying genes are not our destiny, because they must answer to our inner compass-our healing force. - Edward A. Taub, MD 'America's Wellness Doctor'

The complexity and the organization of life (especially when looking at genetics) makes one thing very clear - there has to be some sort of ongoing control of this entire operation, it could not just be left to "do whatever."

The complexity of life demands that there is one central controlling/overseeing system.

This system is the nervous system.

The human body is a masterpiece of natural engineering. It can   perform amazing number of feats - from sprinting down a football field to catching a pass to converting air molecule vibrations into the sensation for sound. It metabolizes food into the exact combination of nutrients that the body requires for energy and transports vital materials around a complex interior network. It also defends and repairs itself when it is either attacked by harmful germs or when it is injured. At the controls is the most sophisticated super computer in the world, the central nervous system.

The proper development and function of the nervous system is a primary key to maximizing the human genetic potential of health, healing and performance. - Molecular Genetics in Developmental Neurobiology

Every doctor, scientist and researcher in the world will agree that the foundation of health begins with a properly functioning nervous system. The central nervous system is the master control system in the human body and every single function reflects its activity.

Nerve impulses travel from the brain, down the spinal cord, and out through nerves to all parts of the body. Nerve impulses then return to the brain through return pathways.

There are approximately 100 billion neurons, or nerve cells, in the brain, and the number of possible connections between those cells is greater than the total number of electrons in the universe.

No one could survive without precise signaling in cells. The body functions properly only because the cells constantly communicate with each other. - Scientific American

Hormones, are the body's internal chemical messengers. They carry the information that controls the function of much of the body's tissues and cells. Most of the hormones in the body are controlled  by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, both of which are located in the brain.

Hormones do not damage or alter genes; rather they cause the gene to act in a certain way telling it when to activate or reproduce. If the nervous system is working properly, then the correct chemical message is sent to and received by the genes.

The central nervous system-endocrine-gene connection is key to understanding and realizing our human genetic potential

The central nervous system is so vital to overall health and optimal genetic expression that it is encased in a protective bony structure. The brain, which is protected by the skull, extends directly into the spinal cord, which is protected by the bones of the spine called the vertebra.

A total of 24 vertebral bones form the spinal column, which is moveable to allow for mobility and shock protection.

When the spine is in its proper structural position, the nerves are protected and optimal communication exists between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. This is when the body is best able to express its optimal genetic potential.

It would stand to reason that a breakdown in the control and coordination of the nervous system would result in decreased genetic expression.