ABSTRACT
Complex phenotypes, such as those represented by anthropometric characters, exhibit quantitative variation in their expression, resulting from the combined contribution of multiple genes acting cumulatively to produce their physical manifestation. While environmental factors such as diet also make a significant contribution to the observed variation in these traits, it is the individual’s unique genetic background that determines the response to these environmental factors. Recent advances in molecular and statistical genetics have provided a variety of tools that allow us to elucidate the genetic architecture underlying such complex phenotypes as anthropometric traits. Three general approaches have been used to date in the search for genes
2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Body Fat Phenotypes ...................................................................................... 19 2.3 Monogenic Human Obesity ............................................................................20 2.4 Analytical Approaches ................................................................................... 21
2.4.1 Candidate Gene Studies ...................................................................... 21 2.4.2 Genome-Wide Linkage Analysis ........................................................ 21 2.4.3 Gene Expression QTL Mapping ......................................................... 21 2.4.4 Whole Genome Association Studies ..................................................22
