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ShareGenetics is the study of how living things receive common traits from previous generations.
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These traits are described by the genetic information carried by a molecule called DNA.
The instructions for constructing and operating an organism are contained in the organism's DNA.
Every living thing on earth has DNA in its cells. A gene is a hereditary unit consisting of DNA that occupies a spot on a chromosome and determines a characteristic in an organism. Genes are passed on from parent to child and are believed by many to be an important part of what decides looks and behavior. Darwin’s theory of natural selection laid the groundwork for evolutionary theory.
However, it was the emergence of the field of genetics, pioneered by Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), that provided the missing information on how evolution works in practice.
Mendel’s experiments with peas led him to realise that heredity in sexual reproduction works by the mixing of separate factors, not by the blending of inherited characters.
This combination of Darwin's theory and our current understanding of heredity led to the birth of the scientific area called "population genetics.".
For more information about the topic Introduction to genetics, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Genetic recombination — Genetic recombination is the transmission-genetic process by which the combinations of alleles observed at different loci in two parental individuals ... > read more
Chromosomal crossover — Homologous recombination is the process by which two chromosomes, paired up during prophase 1 of meiosis, exchange some distal portion of their DNA. ... > read more
Genetics — Genetics is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms. Humans applied knowledge of genetics in prehistory with the domestication ... > read more
Allele frequency — Allele frequency is a measure of the relative frequency of an allele on a genetic locus in a population. Usually it is expressed as a proportion or a ... > read more
Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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