Genetics and Inheritance

dc.contributor.authorWikibooks Contributors
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-30T22:02:22Z
dc.date.available2018-09-30T22:02:22Z
dc.date.issued2006
dc.description.abstractGenetics is the science of the way traits are passed from parent to offspring. For all forms of life, continuity of the species depends upon the genetic code being passed from parent to offspring. Evolution by natural selection is dependent on traits being heritable. Genetics is very important in human physiology because all attributes of the human body are affected by a person’s genetic code. It can be as simple as eye color, height, or hair color. Or it can be as complex as how well your liver processes toxins, whether you will be prone to heart disease or breast cancer, and whether you will you be color blind. Defects in the genetic code can be tragic. For example: Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, and Klinefelter's Syndrome are diseases caused by chromosomal abnormalities. Cystic fibrosis is caused by a single change in the genetic sequence. Genetic inheritance begins at the time of conception. You inherited 23 chromosomes from your mother and 23 from your father. Together they form 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes (either XX if you are female, or XY if you are male). Homologous chromosomes have the same genes in the same positions, but may have different alleles (varieties) of those genes. There can be many alleles of a gene within a population, but an individual within that population only has two copies, and can be homozygous (both copies the same) or heterozygous (the two copies are different) for any given gene.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12091/416
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherWikibooksen_US
dc.subjectPhysiologyen_US
dc.titleGenetics and Inheritanceen_US
dc.typeBook chapteren_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Human Physiology-Ch18-Genetics and Inheritence.pdf
Size:
1.55 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description: