uses. Family studies have repeatedly confirmed that the risk of alcoholism is higher among parents, siblings and children. While genetics may play an important role, there are other factors that can influence individual biological susceptibility to the effects of alcoholism. Because alcohol abuse is linked to behavioral and environmental factors leads to the point that genetics act together along with other non-genetic factors. Some diseases are caused by the alteration of a single gene such as cystic fibrosis, but alcoholism is not on of these. Alcohol abuse is very likely to involve multiple genes that control various aspects of the biological response to alcohol.Research studies have not been able to explain what precisely is inherited that causes people to become problem drinkers although it may be possible to do so. First, one way would be to identify a 'risk marker' or biological trait associated with alcoholism, but to date no 'risk markers' have been clearly identified. Second, the genetic technique of linkage analysis can narrow the area on a chromosome where a gene may be located. It can lead to the identification of the gene, which in turn can improve the understanding of the molecular events that underlie the expression of the gene. There have been few genetic linkage studies related to alcohol abuse. Third, an association between alcoholism and a gene that regulates the number of a type of dopamine receptors in the brain has been studied. One study revealed a relationship between the presence of the gene not only in alcoholics, but also in other disorders such as autism and Tourette's syndrome. The presence of this particular gene, while not uniquely specific for alcoholism, may cause an alteration in the brain's dopamine system that somehow contributes to alcohol abuse. Studies in this biological field began using selective breeding amongst animals. The results do show that alcohol tolerance, the actions of alcoh...
