What is Genetics?
Genetics is the branch of biology that studies heredity, or the passing of traits from one generation to another. In simpler terms, genetics is the study of the building blocks of life, and how they shape who we are. From the color of our eyes to the likelihood of developing certain diseases, genetics plays a significant role in our lives.
Basic Concepts in Genetics
Before diving into the specifics of genetics, it is essential to understand the three basic components that make up genetic material: DNA, genes, and chromosomes.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material found in all living organisms. It is a long molecule that contains the instructions necessary for the development, function, and reproduction of all living things.
Genes are segments of DNA that determine specific traits or characteristics, such as eye color or blood type. Genes are organized into chromosomes.
Chromosomes are structures made up of DNA and protein that contain many genes. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46 chromosomes.
Mendelian Genetics
The principles of genetics were first discovered by Gregor Mendel in the mid-1800s. Mendel's work established the foundation for what is now known as classical, or Mendelian genetics.
Mendelian genetics is based on two fundamental principles: the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment. The law of segregation states that during the formation of gametes (sperm or egg cells), the two alleles (variants of a gene) separate from each other so that each gamete receives only one allele. The law of independent assortment states that the inheritance of one gene does not affect the inheritance of another.
One of the most commonly used tools in Mendelian genetics is the Punnett square, a diagram that helps predict the probability of an offspring having a particular genotype (genetic makeup) based on the genotypes of the parents.
Molecular Genetics
Molecular genetics is the study of the molecular processes that underlie the transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next. These processes include DNA replication, transcription, and translation.
DNA replication is the process by which a cell makes a copy of its DNA. This is necessary for cell division, as each new cell must receive an exact copy of the genetic material.
Transcription is the process by which genetic information is copied from DNA to RNA (ribonucleic acid). This is the first step in the process of protein synthesis.
Translation is the process by which RNA is used to synthesize proteins. Proteins are the building blocks of life, and their synthesis is essential for the growth, development, and function of all living organisms.
Top Geneticist In Kansas City, MO
1. Dr. George Church, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
2. Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
3. Dr. Julie Segre, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD
4. Dr. Stephen Scherer, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
5. Dr. Robert Waterston, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
6. Dr. Eric Lander, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
7. Dr. David Bentley, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
8. Dr. Michael Stratton, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
9. Dr. Richard Gibbs, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
10. Dr. Gregory Hannon, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
11. Dr. Craig Venter, J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, MD
12. Dr. Elaine Mardis, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
13. Dr. Jonas Salk, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA
14. Dr. Mary-Claire King, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
15. Dr. Steven A. Brenner, University of California, Berkeley, CA
16. Dr. Jean Weissenbach, Genoscope, Evry, France
17. Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
18. Dr. Eric Topol, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
19. Dr. Andrew Murray, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
20. Dr. Barbara Wold, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
21. Dr. Kenneth Kidd, Yale University, New Haven, CT
22. Dr. David Botstein, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
23. Dr. Michael Wigler, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
24. Dr. Stephen Elledge, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
25. Dr. Charles Lee, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
26. Dr. Eric Green, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD
27. Dr. Eric Lander, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
28. Dr. Lee Hartwell, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
29. Dr. Richard Lifton, Yale University, New Haven, CT
30. Dr. David Cox, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
31. Dr. Eric Schadt, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
32. Dr. Rick Lifton, Rockefeller University, New York, NY
33. Dr. Jonathan Pritchard, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
34. Dr. David Altshuler, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
35. Dr. Ronald Davis, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
36. Dr. Mark Daly, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
37. Dr. Steven McCarroll, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
38. Dr. Maynard Olson, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
39. Dr. Matthew Meyerson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
40. Dr. Robert Waterston, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
41. Dr. Lewis Cantley, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
42. Dr. Edward Rubin, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
43. Dr. Eric Topol, Scripps Translational Science Institute, La Jolla, CA
44. Dr. Thomas Gingeras, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
45. Dr. Stephen Quake, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
46. Dr. William Foulkes, McGill University, Montreal, QC
47. Dr. Aviv Regev, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
48. Dr. Eric Lander, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
49. Dr. Todd Golub, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
50. Dr. David Cox, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
51. Dr. Joseph L. Goldstein, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
52. Dr. Michael Snyder, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
53. Dr. John Iafrate, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
54. Dr. David Haussler, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
55. Dr. Alexander Varshavsky, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
56. Dr. John M. Greally, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
57. Dr. Carol Greider, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
58. Dr. J. Craig Venter, J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, MD
59. Dr. Stephen Warren, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
60. Dr. Timothy T. Hubbard, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
61. Dr. Richard Lifton, Yale University, New Haven, CT
62. Dr. Li Ding, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
63. Dr. Jay Shendure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
64. Dr. Stephen Kingsmore, Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, CA
65. Dr. Richard Myers, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
66. Dr. Matthew Hahn, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
67. Dr. Mary-Claire King, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
68. Dr. Mark Johnston, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
69. Dr. Stephen Scherer, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
70. Dr. Richard A. Gibbs, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
71. Dr. Deepak Voora, Duke University, Durham, NC
72. Dr. Stephen Quake, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
73. Dr. Mike Stratton, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
74. Dr. Stanley Fields, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
75. Dr. Stephen J. Elledge, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
76. Dr. Eric S. Lander, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
77. Dr. Daniel MacArthur, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
78. Dr. James Lupski, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
79. Dr. Jeffrey Gulcher, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
80. Dr. James R. Lupski, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
81. Dr. Bruce Lahn, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
82. Dr. Charles Lee, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
83. Dr. Peter J. Little, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
84. Dr. Stephen Elledge, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
85. Dr. Eric Topol, Scripps Translational Science Institute, La Jolla, CA
86. Dr. Mark Daly, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
87. Dr. Eric Green, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD
88. Dr. Joseph DeRisi, University of California, San Francisco, CA
89. Dr. Jonathan Pritchard, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
90. Dr. Stephen Kingsmore, Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, CA
91. Dr. David Botstein, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
92. Dr. Stephen Elledge, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
93. Dr. Aviv Regev, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
94. Dr. Mark Johnston, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
95. Dr. Christopher Mason, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
96. Dr. Jean Weissenbach, Genoscope, Evry, France
97. Dr. Kenneth Kidd, Yale University, New Haven, CT
98. Dr. Matthew Meyerson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
99. Dr. Robert Waterston, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
100. Dr. James R. Lupski, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX