Genetics and genomics is an exciting area of scientific research, growing in its importance. It will let us learn more about us and help cure many diseases. A good recent book on this subject is “Genetics and Genomics” by Tom Strachan, Judith Goodship and Patrick Chinnery.
If you want to stay updated, the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) makes available scientific research articles http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
You may also want to check Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com
The OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database) provides more information on single gene disorders http://www.omin.org
For even more info on gene disorders, the University of Washington’s Gene Reviews series are highly recommended and available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1116/
Other very useful resources.
SNP (pronounced ‘snip’) is the short term for Single Nucleotide Polymorphism.
The importance of SNPs comes from their ability to influence disease risk, drug efficacy and side-effects, tell you about your ancestry, and predict aspects of how you look and even act. SNPs are probably the most important category of genetic changes influencing common diseases. And in terms of common diseases, 9 of the top 10 leading causes of death have a genetic component and thus most likely one or more SNPs influence your risk.
The Rs1815739 SNP for example will tell you whether you are likely a sprinter or an endurance athlete.
OpenSNP is a non-profit, open-source project that is about sharing genetical and phenotypic information. You can find info on SNPs https://opensnp.org/
SNPedia is a wiki investigating human genetics. We share information about the effects of variations in DNA, citing peer-reviewed scientific publications. http://www.snpedia.com/
ClinVar aggregates information about genomic variation and its relationship to human health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/clinvar/
Genecards is a searchable, integrative database that provides comprehensive, user-friendly information on all annotated and predicted human genes. http://www.genecards.org/
Free online books at the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/
Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/