No two human beings are the same, a biologic singularity encoded in the unique arrangement of the molecules that make up our individual DNA.
Variation is a cardinal feature of biology, the driver of diversity, and the engine of evolution, but it has a dark side. Alterations in DNA sequences and the resulting proteins that build our cells can sometimes lead to profound disruptions in physiologic function and cause disease.
But which gene alterations are normal or at least inconsequential, and which ones portend disease?
