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Pharmacogenetics and ecogenetics

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The study of pharmacogenetics and ecogenetics among different individuals and populations offers an unique opportunity to understand multiple, simultaneously occurring interactions between genes and the environment, and the subsequent phenotypic expression of heritable characters. Incorporation of appropiate ecogenetic diagnostic services into the general genetic services may be useful for public health monitoring in the prevention of occupational disease.

The modern methods of molecular biochemistry will allow the characterization of hereditary traits affecting drug metabolism at the DNA level. Gene identification, isolation and cloning will help to determine whether gene duplication and other such events have taken place leading to species differences in the metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics.

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  1. Institute of Human Genetics, University of Hamburg, Butenfeld 32, D-2000, Hamburg 54, (Federal Republic of Germany)

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Agarwal, D.P., Goedde, H.W. Pharmacogenetics and ecogenetics. Experientia 42, 1148–1154 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01941289

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