The specialty medical genetics (derived from the teachings of genetics) is concerned with human hereditary diseases.
It encompasses recognising a disease and identifying the hereditary pattern and the course of the illness. On the basis of this the medical geneticist can agree on a treatment strategy together with the patient. He can also make recommendations on how to prevent the disease in following generations (family tree analysis).
The doctor bases his work essentially on molecular and chromosomal diagnostic investigations. Besides hereditary diseases, medical genetics also examines questions of infertility and prenatal diagnostics.
