Description
Information regarding the genetic basis of deafness has long been sought. Initial work during the latter part of the 19th century concentrated on the description of syndromes which included deafness as one of the abnormalities e.g. Ushers, Pendreds and Treacher-Collins syndromes. Further work showed that these diseases were inherited according to Mendelian laws of inheritance. The discovery of the structure of DNA by Crick and Watson in 1953, the advent of molecular biology and the subsequent development of new laboratory, techniques have facilitated research into the molecular basis of disease including defects in the inner ear causing deafness.
