A team from the company deCode Genetics reports today in the journal Nature that a father's age determines how many new DNA mutations a child inherits, and that this may explain a recent rise in the number of children being diagnosed with autism.
The chance substitution of one DNA letter for another—a mutation—is what allows bacteria to become resistant to drugs and, over the stretch of ages, the human species to evolve. Such changes can be dangerous in the short term, however, as they may disrupt the function of genes, including those involved in cognition.
To read the original article: The Link Between a Father's Age and Autism - Technology Review
