Genetics is the study of biological heredity, examining inherited traits from fruit-bearing to eye color. Humans have understood genetics for thousands of years, with Gregor Mendel considered the father of modern genetics. DNA holds the secret to inheritance, allowing researchers to manipulate it for desired results, and study inherited diseases and behavioral problems.
Genetics is the study of biological heredity. Geneticists examine a wide variety of inherited traits, from the ability to bear large numbers of fruit in trees to eye color in mammals. This discipline is a cornerstone of the broader field of biology. The people who study it do so in a wide variety of settings, from research labs to pharmaceutical companies, and new discoveries are constantly being made.
Humans have understood genetics at some level for thousands of years. They have improved crops and animals through breeding for some time, selecting desirable traits and attempting to propagate them. Chance observations have also been a big part of human life for thousands of years, with people noting that members of some families tend to have distinctive anatomical features. The Habsburgs of Austria, for example, are famous for their prognathic jaws.
In the 1800s, a monk named Gregor Mendel began doing controlled experiments with peas, designed to unlock the mysteries of genetic inheritance. He is often considered the father of modern genetics because although he could not identify individual genes, he demonstrated that a combination of dominant and recessive traits determines the physical appearance of an organism. In the 1950s, research finally revealed that the DNA in chromosomes carried the genetic code of the host organism.
With DNA confirmed to hold the secret to inheritance, people also began tracing the genetic code, finding the specific locations on chromosomes where certain genes appeared. Along the way, they’ve learned a lot about DNA and heredity, and the DNA code is continually being studied to identify new genes. Understanding this coding has allowed researchers to manipulate it, removing or altering sections to create a specific desired result, such as a pest-resistant crop. Knowledge of the human genetic code has also led to gene therapy, in which specific problems are addressed or prevented by manipulating an individual’s code.
The study of this field does not only explain the manifestation of physical traits such as hair color. Genetics is also used to explore inherited diseases and to determine whether or not people are more susceptible to certain diseases because of their genes. Discipline is also about what happens when things go wrong, as in the case of an organism inheriting an extra chromosome. Some people have also theorized that genes may play a role in behavior, with some people predisposed to depression, addiction and other behavioral problems.
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