An Introduction to Genetic Analysis [with CD]

Description

Genetics has become an indispensable component of almost all research in modern biology and medicine. Research publications investigating any biological process, from the molecular level all the way to the population level, use the "genetic approach" to gain understanding of that process. Thus, no student of the life sciences can afford to be ignorant of the science of genetics. Genetics has also risen to a position of prominence in human affairs. Special types of plants, animals, and microbes have been developed for human foods, drugs, and myriad other uses. Molecular genetics is the central foundation of the burgeoning biotechnology industry. At the philosophical level, genetics has presented humans with a large number of ethical dilemmas, which regularly surface in the media. Some examples are genetically modified foods, eugenics, privacy of genetic information about individuals, and loss of genetic diversity in nature. Students must be knowledgeable about genetics in order to understand these issues and make informed decisions about them. Lastly, genetic insight has radically affected the human worldview - the way we see ourselves in relation to other organisms.