Genetics - The History Of Genetics, The Biology Of Genetics, The Genetic Code, Dominant And Recessive Traits
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Genetics is the branch of biology concerned with the science of heredity, or the transfer of specific characteristics from one generation to the next. Genetics focuses primarily on genes, coded units found along the DNA molecules of the chromosomes, housed by the cell nucleus. Together, genes make up the blueprints that determine the entire development of the species of organisms down to specific traits, such as the color of eyes and hair. Geneticists are concerned with three primary areas of gene study: how genes are expressed and regulated in the cell, how genes are copied and passed on to successive generations, and what are the genetic basis for differences between the species. Although the science of genetics dates back at least to the nineteenth century, little was known about the exact biological makeup of genes until the 1940s. Since that time, genetics has moved to the forefront of biological research. Scientists are now on the verge of identifying the location and function of every gene in the entire human genome. The result will not only be a greater understanding of the human body, but new insights into the origins of disease and the formulation of possible treatments and cures.
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Although humans have known about inheritance for thousands of years, the first scientific evidence for the existence of genes came in 1866, when the Austrian monk and scientist Gregor Mendel published the results of a study of hybridization of plants—the combining of two individual species with different genetic make-ups to produce a new individual. Working with pea plants with specific cha…
Genetic information is contained in the chromosomes, threadlike structures composed of DNA, and present in the nuclei of all cell types and are passed to daughter cells during cell division. Multicellular organisms contain two types of cells—body cells (or somatic cells) and germ cells (or reproductive cells). Germ cells are the ones that pass on the genetic information to the progeny. In c…
To understand genes and their biological function in heredity, it is necessary to understand the chemical makeup and structure of DNA. Although some viruses carry their genetic information in the form of ribonucleic acid (RNA), most higher life forms carry genetic information in the form of DNA, the molecule that makes up chromosomes. The complete DNA molecule is often referred to as the blueprint…
The expression of the products of genes is not equal, and some genes will override others in expressing themselves as an inherited characteristic. The offspring of organisms that reproduce sexually contain a set of chromosome pairs, half from the father and half from the mother. However, normally people do not have one blue eye and one brown eye, or half brown hair and half blond hair because most…
The DNA molecule is extremely stable, ensuring that offspring have the same traits and attributes that will enable them to survive as well as their parents. However, a certain amount of genetic variation is necessary if species are to adapt by natural selection to a changing environment. Often, this change in genetic material occurs when chromosome segments from the parents physically exchange seg…
Population genetics is the branch of genetics that focuses on the occurrence and interactions of genes in specific populations of organisms. One of its primary concerns is evolution, or how genes change from one generation to the next. By using mathematical calculations that involve an interbreeding population's gene pool (the total genetic information present in the individuals within the …
More than any other biological discipline, genetics is responsible for the most dramatic breakthroughs in biology and medicine today. Scientists are rapidly advancing in their ability to engineer genetic material to achieve specific characteristics in plants and animals. The primary way to genetically engineer DNA is called gene cloning, in which a segment of one DNA molecule is removed and then i…
Full sequencing of many bacterial genomes, yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, mouse, and human genomes has brought about a new era in genetics, and a development of a new area—genomics. Availability of full DNA sequences of multiple organisms allows the comparative analysis (comparative genetics) of genomes allowing gene identification, finding of regulatory sequences and tracing ev…
Despite the promise of genetics research, many ethical and philosophical questions arise. Many of the concerns about this area of research focus on the increasing ability to manipulate genes. There is a fear that the results will not always be beneficial. For example, some fear that a genetically re-engineered virus could turn out to be extremely virulent, or deadly, and may spread if there is no …
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