My goal is to explain every topic so that anyone, even someone without any genetics background at all, can follow the subject and understand how it works.
As in the first, I include many examples from the frontiers of research. I also make sure that...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The Lowdown on Genetics:
Just the Basics,
This part explains how trait inheritance works. The first chapter gives you a handle on how genetic information gets divvied up during cell division; these events provide the foundation for just about everything else that has to do with genetics. From there, I explain simple inheritance of one gene and then move on to more complex forms of inheritance. This part ends with an explanation of how sex works - that is, how genetics determines maleness or femaleness and how sex affects how your genes work. (If you're wondering how sex really works, check out my upcoming new book about Sex.)
DNA:
The Genetic Material,
This part covers what's sometimes called molecular genetics. But don't let the word "molecular" scare you off. It's the nitty-gritty details all right, but broken down so that you can easily follow along. I track the progress of how your genes work from start to finish: how your DNA is put together, how it gets copied, and how the building plans for your body are encoded in the double helix. To help you understand how scientists explore the secrets stored in your DNA, I cover how DNA is sequenced. In the process, I relate the fascinating story behind the Human Genome Project
Genetics and Your Health
This part is intended to help you see how genetics affects your health and wellbeing. I cover the subjects of genetic counseling, inherited diseases, genetics and cancer, and chromosome disorders such as Down syndrome. I also include a chapter on gene therapy, a practice that may hold the key to cures or treatments for many of the disorders I describe in this part of the book.
Genetics and Your World
This part explains the broader impact of genetics and covers some hot topics that are often in the news. I explain how various technologies work and highlight both the possibilities and the perils of each. I delve into population genetics (of both humans, past and present, and endangered animal species), evolution, DNA and forensics, genetically modified plants and animals, cloning, and the issue of ethics, which is raised on a daily basis as scientists push the boundaries of the possible with cutting-edge technology.
The Part of Tens
Inthis part, you get my lists of ten milestone events and important people that have shaped genetics history, ten of the next big things in the field, and ten "believe it or not" stories that can provide you with more insights on the issues found elsewhere in the book that interest you.
