Limmud Bay Area 2016

Genetics have a strong relationship with human health, and we know that many Jewish populations have particular genetic backgrounds that are unusual. How do scientists learn about those backgrounds, and what relationship do they have with Jewish history? In this presentation, we will discuss basics of human genetics in relation to Jewish populations. We'll focus on the new insights about genetics in the Jewish population in the last decade. First, we'll introduce the concept of a genome, human variation, and trait dominance and recessiveness. After summarizing inheritance, we'll ask how Jewish genetics reflect the history of different Jewish populations as they've formed over time. The presentation will touch on (a) origin, (b) diversity, and (c) relationships to populations they live with for Ashkenazim, Sfardim, and other populations of Jews. We'll conclude with notes on how geneticists interpret the relationship between our genetic history and our modern health.