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Possible definitions for genetics
genetics
Study of heredity in general and of genes in particular. Modern genetics began with the work of G. Mendel, who formulated the basic laws of heredity. W. Sutton proposed that chromosomes were the site of Mendel's hereditary factors. The Hardy-Weinberg law established the mathematical basis for studying heredity in populations. T. H. Morgan provided evidence that genes occur on chromosomes and that adjacent genes on the same chromosome form linkage groups. O. Avery showed that DNA is the chromosome component that carries genetic information. DNA's molecular structure was deduced by J. Watson and F. Crick. These and other developments led to the deciphering of the genetic code of the DNA molecule, which in turn made possible the recombination techniques of genetic engineering. An understanding of genetics is useful for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of hereditary diseases, the breeding of plants and animals, and the development of industrial processes that use microorganisms. See also behavior genetics.
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