Autism

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found that it isn’t just your environment and experiences that influence the empathy you feel for others, your genes also play a small but important role and this connection also sheds new light on the biology of autism.

In a first-of-its kind study looking at empathy, researchers have found strong evidence that the ability to read and understand emotions in others simply by looking into their eyes is...

Each year at this time 23andMe puts together a list of the most interesting genetic findings of 2013. We’re doing that again but with a twist. We want to include...

By David Tran Look at your hands. Is your ring finger longer than your index finger, or vice versa? The length of a person’s index finger relative to his or...

Researchers believe that mitochondrial DNA may be involved in autism.  Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to child and found in the cell's mitochondria. These are distinct structures that act as a power plant for the cells by converting oxygen and simple sugars into readily-usable energy.

Researchers have long believed that genetics put some people at higher risk for mental illness than others, but exactly which genes are involved has remained a mystery. Even very large...

Take a moment to look back at the ten most interesting and significant genetic findings of 2012 or at least the ones that drew our attention. In the last 12...

For a long time prospective fathers could wile away the years without much worry about when to have kids, while prospective moms were constantly checking their ticking biological clocks.A recent...

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include everything from the relatively mild Asperger syndrome (characterized by more mild social and language impairments) to full-fledged autism (characterized by severe social and communicative handicaps,...

SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may...