Genetics

Genes define much of who we are. Learn how traits are passed down within families with articles on inheritance, chromosomes, reproduction, and more.

  • Polish Frizzle Hen
    What Is Pleiotropy? Definition and Examples
  • Har Gobind Khorana
    Har Gobind Khorana: Nucleic Acid Synthesis and Synthetic Gene Pioneer
  • Gene mutation
    How Chromosome Mutations Occur
  • Photograph of a strand of DNA
    Inbreeding: Definition and Genetic Effects
  • Founder Effect
    What Is the Founder Effect?
  • The difference between siRNA and miRNA. siRNA is exogenous double-stranded RNA that binds perfectly to its mRNA target in animals. miRNA is endogenous single-stranded RNA pairing is imperfect.
    The Difference Between siRNA and miRNA
  • Independent Assortment
    Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment
  • Sperm Fertilizing Egg
    Sexual Reproduction Advantages and Disadvantages
  • Hydra Budding
    Common Types of Asexual Reproduction
  • A Punnett square for seed shape
    What Does Homozygous Mean in Genetics?
  • Genes and Proteins
    Genetics Basics
  • A homologous chromosome pair diagram.
    A Genetics Definition of Homologous Chromosomes
  • 3D drawing of siRNA
    siRNA and How It Is Used
  • A plant cell in Interphase
    Overview of the Stages of Meiosis
  • DNA Replication
    DNA Replication Steps and Process
  • Woman With Child Lying in Grass
    Nature vs. Nurture: How Are Personalities Formed?
  • Mutation
    Types and Examples of DNA Mutations
  • This image shows the results of a dihybrid cross in plants that are true-breeding for two different traits - seed shape and seed color.
    Introduction to Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment
  • Monohybrid Cross Between True Breeding Green and Yellow Pod Pea Plants
    Monohybrid Cross: A Genetics Definition
  • Snapdragon flower (Antirrhinum) blooming
    Incomplete Dominance in Genetics
  • Monohybrid and Dihybrid Crosses
    Dihybrid Cross in Genetics
  • Chromatin and DNA compaction diagram.
    What is Chromatin's Structure and Function?
  • Blackbird With Leucism
    Genetic Variation Examples, Causes, and Definition
  • Blood Type
    Learn About Blood Type
  • Close-up of Three Young Women
    Polygenic Inheritance of Traits Like Eye Color and Skin Color
  • Human Karyotype graphic
    How Chromosomes Determine Sex
  • Computer illustration of DNA strands with a mutation
    Synonymous vs. Nonsynonymous Mutations
  • Laboratory technician studying Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism
    RFLP and the DNA Analysis Applications
  • Hammerhead shark
    What Is Parthenogenesis?
  • Daniel Hale Williams
    African Americans in Science
  • DNA Double Helix
    Understanding the Double-Helix Structure of DNA
  • Illustration of a genetic mutation occurring on a chromosome
    How Gene Mutation Works
  • Fresh English peas with the gene for a smooth, round seed shape
    A Genetics Definition of Heterozygous
  • Person studying DNA
    Genetic Polymorphism—Different Does Not Mean Mutated
  • Man scanning fingerprint on machine with screen in laboratory
    DNA Fingerprinting and Its Uses
  • Close-ups of 9 eyes of various colors
    Gene vs. Allele: What’s the Difference?
  • DNA
    What Is Recombinant DNA Technology?
  • Portrait of mother and daughter with red hair close up
    What Are Traits?
  • Two large X structures on a grass field with birds flying between to represent X chromosomes and genes moving from to the other.
    Genetic Recombination and Crossing Over
  • Genetic Code
    Understanding the Genetic Code
  • Rabbit fur color is an example of incomplete dominance
    Types of Non-Mendelian Genetics
  • United Kingdom - Roslin - Dolly The Cloned Sheep Unveiled
    Cloning Techniques
  • Mendel's Law of Segregation
    What Is Mendel's Law of Segregation?
  • lab technician holding vials of blood
    Law of Multiple Alleles
  • Protein Synthesis
    An Introduction to DNA Transcription
  • Dolly (the first cloned sheep), and three other sheen in a field.
    All About Cloning
  • Fertilization: Sperm and Egg
    Types of Fertilization in Sexual Reproduction:
  • An Illustration of Alleles and Their Relationship to Chromosomes
    How Do Alleles Determine Traits in Genetics?
  • Gene diagram with cell. chromosomes, and DNA helix
    Genes and Genetic Inheritance
  • Scientist holding up a DNA sample with results on the computer screen
    5 Common Dyes for Visualizing and Staining DNA
  • Fresh peas
    True-Breeding Plants
  • Mendelian inheritance of flower color in the culinary pea, 1912.
    Genes, Traits and Mendel's Law of Segregation
  • The Human Genome Project made a map of the genes of a human being.
    Introduction to the Human Genome Project
  • Rotavirus particle, illustration
    4 Types of RNA
  • Duplication can happen when sister chromatids split
    Chromosome Mutations
  • Mother and Daughter
    What Is Genetic Dominance and How Does It Work?
  • Fingerprints on a Scanner
    Why Do We Have Fingerprints?
  • 3-D DNA Structure
    DNA Definition: Shape, Replication, and Mutation
  • DNA Molecule
    Understanding the Term "Gene Pool" in Evolutionary Science
  • Escherichia coli (E. coli) colonies
    E. coli is Critical to Genetic Advances
  • The Amish are examples of types of Genetic Drift
    Genetic Drift
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