hereditary (redirected from hereditariness)

hereditary /he·red·i·tary/ (hĕ-red´ĭ-tar-e) genetically transmitted from parent to offspring.

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he·red·i·tar·y (h-rd-tr)

adj.

Transmitted or capable of being transmitted genetically from parent to offspring.

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Hereditary

Something which is inherited-passed down from parents to offspring. In biology and medicine, the word pertains to inherited genetic characteristics.

Mentioned in: Amniocentesis, Ptosis

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hereditary

[həred′iter′ē]

Etymology: L, hereditas, inheritance

transmitted from parent to offspring; inborn; inherited. Compare acquired, congenital, familial.

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hereditary

transmissible or transmitted from parent to offspring; genetically determined.

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hereditary ataxia

occurs in smooth-haired Fox terriers and Jack Russell terriers and is progressive over a long period, commencing at 2 to 4 months of age; characterized by symmetrical demyelination within the spinal cord.

hereditary collagen dysplasia

a group of diseases which occur in most species and are characterized by looseness and stretchability of the skin, often accompanied by laxity of the joints and occasionally by absence of the tooth enamel. The inherited defect is one of deficient collagen synthesis. See also dermatosparaxis, ehlers-danlos syndrome. Called also hyperelastosis cutis, rubber-puppy syndrome.

hereditary defect

anatomical or functional defect conditioned in its appearance by inherited factors.

hereditary melanoma

benign, heritable, cutaneous tumor of pigs.

hereditary thrombopathias

an inherited bleeding tendency in which the platelets do not function properly. Recorded in cattle and dogs.

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hereditary

Pertains to a condition that is genetically transmitted from parent to offspring. See acquired; congenital; familial; inheritance.

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hereditary

 adjective Transferred via genes from parent to child

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Patient discussion about hereditariness.

Q. Is alcoholism hereditary?

A. HEY BIanca;that is very true,I think most people know that alcoholism is genetic also,an if you have family members that have had problems,it is best to stay away from it---but we all have free will,an we all dont do the right thing sometimes--I lived with a alcoholic(my father)an it was no fun,drink grape juich or something.mrfoot56

Q. Can autism occur in more than one child? We’re a couple in our early thirties, and have a 8 years old son that was diagnosed with autism. It’s not easy to rear him, but now we feel we are ready for another child. However, we are very worried – our first son was born healthy, and only couple of years later he was diagnosed with autism. We love him very much, but we feel another child with autism will be just beyond our energies. What are the chances we will have another child with autism? Is there any way to diagnose the baby during pregnancy?

A. Having one child with autism does put you in an increased risk group for having another autistic child, however the chances are relatively small. You will not be able to know during pregnancy, and that would be a risk you would have to take, if you want to bring another baby into the world. I know it is not easy, but remember it is of much much higher probability your next child will be healthy.

Q. Is ADHD hereditary? I had ADHD as a young boy. Does this mean my children will have ADHD too?

A. Most doctors now believe that ADHD is hereditary. Environmental factors do not cause ADHD, nor is it a result of poor parenting skills or broken homes. There may be times when outside influences can result in symptoms that mimic ADHD, but the guidelines for diagnosing ADHD take this into account by controls such as the requirement that symptoms must be present in two or more areas of life and must have existed from an early age.