Question 1

COMT Gene Influences Worrier And Warrior Personality

Accepted Answer

COMT Gene

The COMT gene is responsible for producing an enzyme called catechol-O-methyltransferase. This enzyme helps in the breakdown of catecholamines, thereby inactivating them. Catecholamines, termed as fight or flight hormones, include dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. They are produced in response to stress. They are responsible for increasing heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, muscle strength, and alertness. They also play a role in increasing blood flow to major organs like the brain, heart, and kidneys.

COMT is one of the enzymes involved in the breakdown of dopamine in the brain. This occurs in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This part of the brain is involved in cognitive function and decision making.

The COMT Variants

COMT gene comes in two main variants - one that breaks down dopamine quickly and the other one that breaks it down slowly.

What does this mean?

One variant produces high levels of the enzyme, which breaks down dopamine faster, leading to its lower levels in the brain.

The other variant produces lower levels of the enzyme, which results in slower breakdown of dopamine, resulting in its higher levels in the brain.

rs4680 SNP

The COMT gene variants are influenced by the allele present at rs4680.

rs4680, also called Val158Met, is a well studied SNP in the COMT gene.

The G allele here is associated with higher COMT enzymatic levels compared to the A allele.

The presence of two A alleles at rs4680 resul

Question 2

Important Things To Know About Your Consumer Genetic Reports

Accepted Answer

Recently, DTC genetic tests have become very popular due to a combination of reasons:

Decreasing costs of genetic tests The cost of genetic testing in general has been decreasing primarily due to technological advancements and increasing consumer demand.

2.Increased interest in proactive self-care Over the last few years, the self-testing trend has gained popularity due to an increase in self-awareness and self-monitoring.

This trend is facilitated by self-learning over the internet and other media and the availability of low cost internet-connected wearable devices enabling us to understand our bodies better.

Personalization Personalization in various aspects of health and well-being. We are at the end of the one-size-fits-all era.

We understand that carbohydrates are not equally bad for everybody, fat does not always cause high cholesterol levels, and COVID-19 does not affect everyone the same way.

Genetics enables us to understand our uniqueness in several aspects of life.

Ancestry has become a popular interest Ancestry testing is the largest segment in DTC genetic testing. People love understanding where their ancestors came from- their genetic genealogy.

Not only that, The DNA data also allows people to discover their biological parents, siblings and other relatives through a variety of online services!

If you have received DTC genetic reports from one of many sources available, you may have come across the following:

Some results confi

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