Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part 1: The Lowdown on Genetics: Just the Basics 7
Chapter 1: Welcome to Genetics: What’s What and Who’s Who 9
Chapter 2: Basic Cell Biology 21
Chapter 3: Visualize Peas: Discovering the Laws of Inheritance 41
Chapter 4: Law Enforcement: Mendel’s Laws Applied to Complex Traits 57
Part 2: DNA: The Genetic Material 73
Chapter 5: DNA: The Basis of Life 75
Chapter 6: Chromosomes: The Big Picture 91
Chapter 7: Replication: A Copy Machine for DNA 105
Chapter 8: DNA Sequencing: Decoding the Genome 123
Chapter 9: RNA: DNA’s Close Cousin 137
Chapter 10: Translating the Genetic Code 151
Chapter 11: Gene Expression: What a Cute Pair of Genes 165
Part 3: Genetics and Your Health 181
Chapter 12: When Things Go Wrong: Changes in DNA Sequence 183
Chapter 13: Chromosome Disorders: It’s All a Numbers Game 199
Chapter 14: Taking a Closer Look at the Genetics of Cancer 217
Chapter 15: Genetic Counseling, Risk Assessment, and Genetic Testing 235
Chapter 16: Treating Genetic Disorders and Using Genetics to Tailor Treatment 255
Part 4: Genetics and Your World 269
Chapter 17: Tracing Human History and the Future of the Planet 271
Chapter 18: Solving Mysteries Using DNA 287
Chapter 19: Genetic Makeovers: Using Genetic Engineering to Change the Genome 307
Chapter 20: Giving Ethical Considerations Their Due 327
Part 5: The Part of Tens 339
Chapter 21: Ten Defining Events in Genetics 341
Chapter 22: Ten Hot Issues in Genetics 349
Glossary 359
Index 365