WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE . . .

...between hereditary and genetic illness?

HEREDITARY refers to a condition or characteristic that can be passed from one generation to the next.

Height, for instance, is hereditary, as are some types of cancer. People can also inherit genetic faults from one or both parents that increase the risk of developing a condition, though not all genetic faults are passed down. Down’s syndrome and achondroplasia, or dwarfism, are two examples.

Genetic faults may develop spontaneously, meaning a child is born with a genetic condition that doesn’t run in the family.

Genetic faults that aren’t inherited can also occur in adulthood, causing cancers and other diseases.