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Article: Genetics
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- Genetics
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Genetics
Genetics is the scientific study of the structure, function, and transmission of genes in living things. The field of genetics includes many disciplines and uses many different techniques. Historically, genetic scientists (geneticists) investigated patterns of inheritance in whole organisms by observing the distribution and segregation of physical characteristics across several generations of breeding. This type of genetic research, called classical or Mendelian genetics, is still conducted today and remains invaluable for identifying and describing inheritance patterns and traits. The development of modern molecular biology and biochemistry has facilitated the growth of a ...