Genetics is the study of inheritance, or the traits passed down from one generation to another. Genes carry the instructions for making proteins, which direct the activities of cells and functions of the body that influence traits such as hair and eye color. Genomics is a newer term that describes the study of all the genes in a person, as well as the interactions of those genes with each other and a person’s environment.
Public health laboratories will play an important role in translating advances in genetics and genomics into public health practice and programs in the coming years.