ABSTRACT
This chapter provides definitions for inherited abilities and disorders that distinguish them from actions that are under the influence of conscious thought. It describes some of the steps in the enactment of the genetic program that are flexible and potentially influenced by the physical and emotional environment and by conscious intention. The three disorders manifests as what might termed a "behavior" or "behavioral syndrome" when more than one behavior occurs. Genetic differences between individuals and across species occur in coding and noncoding regions. Coding regions are more constant than the sequences between them. Differences in DNA sequence can affect the amino acid sequence of the protein when they occur in the coding regions. The effect of DNA sequence differences in noncoding regions is less well understood but could affect splicing of introns, regulation of expression levels, and silencing of alleles. The chapter offers in the hope that awareness leads to deliberate and ethically considered actions.
