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What's in Your Genome? describes the functional regions of the human genome, the evidence that 90% of it is junk DNA, and the reasons this evidence has not been widely accepted by the popular press and much of the scientific community. The human genome contains about 25,000 protein-coding and noncoding genes and many other functional elements, such as origins of replication, regulatory elements, and centromeres. Functional elements occupy only about 10 percent of the more than three billion base pairs in the human genome. Much of the rest is composed of ancient fragments of broken genes, transposons, and viruses. Almost all of this is thought to be junk DNA, based on evidence that dates back fifty years. This conclusion is controversial. What's in Your Genome? describes the arguments on both sides of the debate and attempts to explain the reasoning behind those different points of view. The book corrects a number of false narratives that have arisen in recent years and examines how they have affected the debate over junk DNA. In addition, Laurence A. Moran focuses on scientific misconceptions and misinformation and on how the junk DNA controversy has been incorrectly portrayed in both the scientific literature and the popular press. Tracing the earliest indications of junk DNA back to the 1960s, the book explains the success of nearly neutral theory and the importance of random genetic drift, which gave rise to the view that evolution produces sloppy genomes full of junk DNA. What's in Your Genome? aims to offer the most accurate and current account of the human genome.

This whistlestop guide teaches you everything you need to know about the fascinating science of genetics! Genetics is the study of heredity, and reveals how the characteristics of living organisms are determined by the genes passed down the generations. In humans, it can determine how we think,who we are, and how long we live. The human genome was mapped in 2003, and this enhanced ability to study our genes is transforming medicine, from CRISPR, the gene editing technology that allows us to alter the course of hereditary disease, to using genetics to identify the types of bacteria that populate our bodies. Stripping the subject to its bare necessities,30-Second Genetics charts the most extraordinary discoveries, from the fundamentals of cell biology to the almost unbelievable advances in DNA sequencing and stem cell technology. Each subject, concept or term is explored in a mere 30 seconds, 300 words, and one image, making this the perfect book to understand the field of genetics at lightening speed! Authors (and identical twin brothers) Jonathan and Matthew Weitzman are both expert professors in the field, and they write with clarity, exploring these complicated terms in easy to understand language. From advances in stem cell therapy to animal cloning, genetically modified crops and genetically tailored treatments, the Weitzman brothers demystify this essential science which is shaping our future, today!

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Emperor of All Maladies – a magnificent history of the gene and a response to the defining question of the future: What becomes of being human when we learn to “read” and “write” our own genetic information? Siddhartha Mukherjee has a written a biography of the gene as deft, brilliant, and illuminating as his extraordinarily successful biography of cancer. Weaving science, social history, and personal narrative to tell us the story of one of the most important conceptual breakthroughs of modern times, Mukherjee animates the quest to understand human heredity and its surprising influence on our lives, personalities, identities, fates, and choices. Throughout the narrative, the story of Mukherjee's own family – with its tragic and bewildering history of mental illness – cuts like a bright, red line, reminding us of the many questions that hang over our ability to translate the science of genetics from the laboratory to the real world. In superb prose and with an instinct for the dramatic scene, he describes the centuries of research and experimentation – from Aristotle and Pythagoras to Mendel and Darwin, from Boveri and Morgan to Crick, Watson and Franklin, all the way through the revolutionary twenty-first century innovators who mapped the human genome. The Gene is a must-read for everyone concerned about the definition and future of humanity. This is the most crucial science of our time, intimately explained by a master.

Genes were unknowingly discovered in the 19th century by Gregor Mendel, a Czechoslovakian monk. It was later established that genes are made of DNA, a biological compound found in tiny thread-like structures called chromosomes that are located in the nuclei of all cells in our bodies. DNA consists of chains of entities called bases of which there are four in nature. DNA consists of long chains of bases (sometimes referred to as DNA sequences) that are joined in any order, but the precise order and length of which constitute different genes.Many (but not all) genes carry a code called the genetic code, a code that instructs the synthesis (manufacture) of the many hundreds of proteins that we require to survive and execute the many functions of life. The genetic code was deciphered in relatively recent years and is considered one of the most significant discoveries in the history of biology.Genes that encode instructions for the synthesis of proteins and those that regulate the manufacture of proteins comprise a mere two percent of our DNA. Despite our extensive knowledge of biology and the sub-discipline of molecular biology (the study of biology at the molecular level), the function (if any) of the rest of the DNA in our cells is unknown.Research about genes and DNA has in recent years spawned an endeavor referred to as the Human Genome Project, an international collaboration that has successfully determined, stored, and rendered publicly available the sequences of almost all the genetic content of the chromosomes of the human organism, otherwise known as the human genome.DNA sequences that are unique to every person on earth have been discovered (DNA fingherprints) and are now used for identifying criminals. The book relates a specific example of identifying a criminal who murdered two women.This is the first and only book that we are aware of that educates non-biologists about genes. It is written in a style and uses a vocabulary that can be comprehended by the average reader who knows very little if anything about genes.

This book focuses on the latest genome sequencing of the 25 wild Oryza species, public and private genomic resources, and their impact on genetic improvement research. It also addresses the untapped reservoir of agronomically important traits in wild Oryza species. Rice is a model crop plant that is frequently used to address several basic questions in plant biology, yet its wild relatives offer an untapped source of agronomically important alleles that are absent in the rice gene pool. The genus Oryza is extremely diverse, as indicated by a wide range of chromosome numbers, different ploidy levels and genome sizes. After a 13-year gap from the first sequencing of rice in the 2002, the genomes of 11 wild Oryza species have now been sequenced and more will follow. These vast genomic resources are extremely useful for addressing several basic questions on the origin of the genus, evolutionary relationships between the species, domestication, and environmental adaptation, and also help to substantiate molecular breeding and pre-breeding work to introgress useful characters horizontally from wild species into cultivated rice.

T-box Genes in Development and Disease looks at the genes encoding the T-box family of transcription factors function as key regulators of many important decision processes during embryonic and tissue development. The importance of these genes is further underlined by the fact that most members of this gene family have been conserved during evolution from worms to humans. This book brings together the current information on conserved aspects with the evolutionary innovations of the functions of these genes during developmental regulation in various animal species and then discusses their important roles in human disease. Brings together current knowledge from a wide variety of animal species and humans Presents commentary from authoritative experts, and includes many prominent scientists and their research Illuminates the connections between developmental biology, evolution, and human disease Allows researchers and newcomers to this research area to gain a thorough picture of the current knowledge

Few concepts played a more important role in twentieth-century life sciences than that of the gene. Yet at this moment, the field of genetics is undergoing radical conceptual transformation, and some scientists are questioning the very usefulness of the concept of the gene, arguing instead for more systemic perspectives. The time could not be better, therefore, for Hans-Jörg Rheinberger and Staffan Müller-Wille's magisterial history of the concept of the gene. Though the gene has long been the central organizing theme of biology, both conceptually and as an object of study, Rheinberger and Müller-Wille conclude that we have never even had a universally accepted, stable definition of it. Rather, the concept has been in continual flux—a state that, they contend, is typical of historically important and productive scientific concepts. It is that very openness to change and manipulation, the authors argue, that made it so useful: its very mutability enabled it to be useful while the technologies and approaches used to study and theorize about it changed dramatically.

Between the Lines of Genetic Code lays out methodologies and tools for the measurement and evaluation of gene-gene and gene-environment studies and gives perspective on the future of this discipline. The book begins by defining terms for interaction studies, describing methodologies, and critically assessing the viability of current study designs and the possibilities for integrating designs. It then provides recent applications data with case studies in rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, myositis and other complex human diseases. Last, it examines current studies and directions for future applications in patient care. Recent multivariate studies show that gene-gene and gene-environment interactions can explain significant variances in inheritance that have previously been undetectable in univariate analysis. These links among genes and between genes and their environments during the development of diseases may serve as important hints for understanding pathogenic mechanisms and for developing new tools for prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases. Systematically integrates methods of defining and detecting gene interactions to provide an overview of the field Critically analyzes current methods and tools to aid researchers in integrating gene interaction studies Includes examples of current biomedical applications and presents current research expected to shape clinical research in the near future

In the past century, nearly all of the biological sciences have been directly affected by discoveries and developments in genetics, a fast-evolving subject with important theoretical dimensions. In this rich and accessible book, Paul Griffiths and Karola Stotz show how the concept of the gene has evolved and diversified across the many fields that make up modern biology. By examining the molecular biology of the'environment', they situate genetics in the developmental biology of whole organisms, and reveal how the molecular biosciences have undermined the nature/nurture distinction. Their discussion gives full weight to the revolutionary impacts of molecular biology, while rejecting'genocentrism'and'reductionism', and brings the topic right up to date with the philosophical implications of the most recent developments in genetics. Their book will be invaluable for those studying the philosophy of biology, genetics and other life sciences.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters.Epigenetics refers to DNA and chromatin modifications that play an important role in the regulation of various genomic functions. This important book reviews human and cellular data that underline paradoxical findings with respect to the contribution of heredity and environment to phenotype. The

Chapter 1 - Gear Chapter 2 - Bevel Gear Chapter 3 - Spiral Bevel Gear and Herringbone Gear Chapter 4 - Worm Drive Chapter 5 - Epicyclic Gearing Chapter 6 - Harmonic Drive and Non–Circular Gear Chapter 7 - Backlash (Engineering) Chapter 8 - Derailleur Gears Chapter 9 - Hub Gear Chapter 10 - Belt (Mechanical) Chapter 11 - Conveyor Belt Chapter 12 - Timing Belt Chapter 13 - Pulley Chapter 14 - Line Shaft Chapter 15 - Clutch Chapter 16 - Electromagnetic Clutch Chapter 17 - Friction–Plate Electromagnetic Clutch

“… an excellent book… achieves all of its goals with style, clarity and completeness… You can see the power and possibilities of molecular genetics as you read…” –Human Genetics'This volume hits an outstanding balance among readability, coverage, and detail.'–Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education Rapid advances in a collection of techniques referred to as gene technology, genetic engineering, recombinant DNA technology and gene cloning have pushed molecular biology to the forefront of the biological sciences. This new edition of a concise, well-written textbook introduces key techniques and concepts involved in cloning genes and in studying their expression and variation. The book opens with a brief review of the basic concepts of molecular biology, before moving on to describe the key molecular methods and how they fit together. This ranges from the cloning and study of individual genes to the sequencing of whole genomes, and the analysis of genome-wide information. Finally, the book moves on to consider some of the applications of these techniques, in biotechnology, medicine and agriculture, as well as in research that is causing the current explosion of knowledge across the biological sciences. From Genes to Genomes: Concepts and Applications of DNA Technology, Second Edition includes full two-colour design throughout. Specific changes for the new edition include: Strengthening of gene to genome theme Updating and reinforcing of material on proteomics, gene therapy and stem cells More eukaryotic/mammalian examples and less focus on bacteria This textbook is must-have for all undergraduates studying intermediate molecular genetics within the biological and biomedical sciences. It is also of interest for researchers and all those needing to update their knowledge of this rapidly moving field.

In The Poetics of DNA, Judith Roof examines the rise of this powerful symbol and the implications of its ascendancy for the ways we thinkabout ourselves, about one another, and about the universe. A hyperbolized notion of DNA has become a vector, Roof argues, through which older ways of thinking can merge with the new, advancing long-discredited and insidious ideas.

Advances in Genetics

The laws of inheritance were considered quite superficial until 1903, when the chromosome theory of heredity was established by Sutton and Boveri. The discovery of the double helix and the genetic code led to our understanding of gene structure and function. For the past quarter of a century, remarkable progress has been made in the characterization of the human genome in order to search for coherent views of genes. The unit of inheritance termed factor or gene, once upon a time thought to be a trivial an imaginary entity, is now perceived clearly as the precise unit of inheritance that has continually deluged us with amazement by its complex identity and behaviour, sometimes bypassing the university of Mendel's law. The aim of the fifth volume, entitled Genes and Genomes, is to cover the topics ranging from the structure of DNA itself to the structure of the complete genome, along with everything in between, encompassing 12 chapters. These chapters relate much of the information accumulated on the role of DNA in the organization of genes and genomes per se. Several distinguished scientists, all pre-eminent authorities in each field to share their expertise. Obviously, since the historical report on the double helix configuration in 1953, voluminous reports on the meteoric advances in genetics have been accumulated, and to cover every account in a single volume format would be a Herculean task. Therefore, only a few topics are chosen, which are of great interest to molecular geneticists. This volume is intended for advanced graduate students who would wish to keep abreast with the most recent trends in genome biology.