Genetics is the
study of inheritance. It is a broad science that examines the molecular basis
of inheritance at the cellular level, the transmission of traits from
generation to generation, and the movement of genes within and between
populations. As a science, genetics is both very young and very old. It has
only been in the past 50 years that we have discovered the structure of the
molecule that carries our genetic information from generation to generation.
That molecule is of course deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. Yet despite the fact
that we have only been studying DNA for a short period of time, the study of
genetics now permeates all aspects of the scientific world and our lives. This
is evident by the fact that on any given day, newspapers and news Web sites
contain articles discussing the latest advances in the field of genetics. A
little more than a decade ago, scientists were debating the feasibility of
cloning a mammal, now the discussion focuses on whether researchers should be
allowed to clone humans. In a fifty-year time span we have learned the role of genes
as the carriers of genetic information, and developed the ability to manipulate
those genes to produce genetically modified and transgenic organisms.
The nature of
this book makes it a useful reference for secondary school libraries,
undergraduate higher education colleges, and universities where students may be
seeking general information on some aspect of genetics. In addition, community
libraries that wish to possess a general reference volume on genetics, as well
as anyone with an interest in this field of study, will find this a useful addition to their collection.
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