Mendelism in human genetics: 100 years on.

ABSTRACT

Genetics (Greek word--'genes' = born) is a science without an objective past. But the genre of genetics was always roaming in the corridors of human psyche since antiquity. The account of heritable deformities in human often appears in myths and legends. Ancient Hindu Caste system was based on the assumption that both desirable and undesirable traits are passed from generation to generation. In Babylonia 60 birth defects were listed on Clay tablets written around 5,000 year ago. The Jewish Talmud contains accurate description of the inheritance of haemophilia--a human genetic disorder. The Upanisads vedant--800--200 BC provides instructions for the choice of a wife emphasizing that no heritable illness should be present and that the family should show evidence of good character for several preceding generations. These examples indicate that heritable human traits played a significant role in social customs are presented in this article.