Ecogenetics

Ecogenetics is a branch of genetics that studies genetic traits related to the response to environmental substances. Or, a contraction of ecological genetics, the study of the relationship between a natural population and its genetic structure. Ecogenetics principally deals with effects of preexisting genetically determined variability on the response to environmental agents. The word environmental is defined broadly to include the physical, chemical, biological, atmospheric, and climate agents. Ecogenetics, therefore, is an all-embracing term, and concepts such as pharmacogenetics are seen as subcomponents of ecogenetics. This work grew logically from the book entitled Pollutants and High Risk Groups (1978), which presented an overview of the various host factors i.e. age, heredity, diet, preexisting diseases, and lifestyles affect environmentally induced disease. As in all rapidly expanding areas, this will certainly not be the last word or topic but will serve as a conduit for present and future biomedical researchers and policymakers as they approach this field. It should be emphasized the primary intention of Ecogenetics is to provide an objective and critical evaluation of the scientific literature pertaining to genetic factors and differential susceptibility to environmental agents, with particular emphasis on those agents typically considered pollutants. It is important to realize though that ones genetic makeup, while important, is but one of an array of host factors contributing to overall adaptive capacity of the individual. In many instances, it is possible for such factors to interact in ways that may enhance or offset the effect of each other.