What Is the Difference Between Genealogy and Genetics?

Medically Reviewed on 2/7/2023
Genealogy vs Genetics
Genetics and genealogy are branches of biology that compare a person’s DNA to their ancestors.

Genetics is the branch of biology that deals with the transmission and variation of inherited characteristics, in particular chromosomes and DNA, whereas genealogy is the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors, lineage, or pedigree.

Genes are traits you are born with, such as your eye and hair color. These molecules carry information passed down from your parents called DNA. While DNA is mostly the same for everybody, a small percentage of it is yours alone. Those differences are what help determine the following:

  • How you look
  • The way your body works
  • Your risk for diseases
  • Your personality

What is genealogy?

Genealogy is the study of family descent, including how one individual is related to their parents, grandparents, cousins, and more. Finding out the origins of their families is a common desire of many people. They might seek out other relatives as well.

Species other than humans can also benefit from genealogy. For example, one can research a dog or a horse's ancestry. Such information can be useful for events such as dog shows and horse races.

Scientists can use genealogy to reconstruct the possible evolutionary history of modern species. Genealogists, people who study genealogy, can develop a family tree. Using these branching drawings, they can keep track of relationships. You can do this by looking through old records that list people's births, marriages, and deaths.

A person's family history can now be determined through DNA analysis. DNA molecules are inherited from one generation to the next. Thus, it is feasible to infer someone's ancestry from their DNA. Nowadays, various DNA testing companies aid consumers in discovering relatives they might not have been aware of. Additionally, they can help individuals trace the potential ancestry of their families.

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What is genetics?

Genetics is the study of genes and heredity or the process through which specific characteristics or traits are passed from one generation to the next because of variations in DNA sequence.

A gene is a section of DNA that carries instructions for constructing one or more molecules necessary for bodily functions. The structure of DNA is a double helix, which is a corkscrew-shaped ladder. The two ladder rails form the backbones of DNA, whereas the rungs are formed by pairs of four building blocks called bases, which include adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. The sequences of these bases provide the instructions for building molecules, most of which are proteins. Researchers estimate that humans have about 20,000 genes.

A genome is a collection of genetic components of an organism, which includes all its genes and the various substances that regulate the function of those genes. An organism's entire genome can be found in almost every cell. All humans share the same genome with only a few minor changes.

Medically Reviewed on 2/7/2023
References
Image Source: iStock image

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115568/

https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Genetics-vs-Genomics

https://nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/genetics.aspx

https://escholarship.org/content/qt4046g0fp/qt4046g0fp.pdf?t=lnq5di