Genetics

It was less than 50 years ago that a fundamental discovery--the structure of DNA--made possible the modern scientific fields of genetics and molecular biology. Since then scientists have found novel ways to apply this knowledge and are thus continuously pushing back the frontiers of medicine, archeology, botony, and agriculture. They have learned to transfer genes from one organism to another, making it possible to build an organism with chosen characteristics. This volume looks at the principles of genetics and the opportunities created by its exploration.