In view of the
dramatic advances in this rapidly progressing field, Genetics has been updated to present the most current
information available. About 22 years ago when the first edition was printed,
recombinant DNA technology was an emerging field, beginning to find its way
into molecular biology laboratories. Over the years, the invention of new
technologies have expanded recombinant DNA technology significantly. The
sequencing of whole genomes, not only of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, even
humans has been achieved successfully. In the scenario that now exists,
sophisticated techniques have become more and more routine and available in
many research laboratories. Bioinformatics has made inroads into, and become an
integral component of molecular biology research. It is now time to develop new
approaches for elucidating gene function and processes involved in running the
metabolic machinery of the whole cell. While modifying text for the second
edition of Genetics, the
sequence of chapters has not been changed so that the chronological order of
developments in the field is kept in place. I consider topics in classical genetics
not as mere historical landmarks. We cannot underestimate the work of Gregor
Mendel who discovered heterozygosity, and dominant versus recessive traits; cytologists who explained “sticky ends”
in chromosomes; and geneticists who made linkage and recombination maps
accurately. Because today these topics are key elements of research in
recombinant DNA technology and sequencing of genomes. Results of Mendel’s
experiments are still the backbone of pedigree analysis of human genetic
disease. All in all, classical genetics provided the necessary foundations on
which the molecular framework could be laid. Therefore, the student of genetics
will do well in first comprehending the basics of genetics, that are
nonetheless exciting, before proceeding to the nucleotide sequence of DNA. The
text of Genetics therefore,
gives equal importance to classical and modern genetics, and is intended to be
useful not only for students of genetics, but also for nonspecialists in
various disciplines of life sciences and medicine.
0 comments:
Post a Comment