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In a companion article, I discussed recent developments in genetics and the inadequacies of eight common claims made by biology teachers, followed by suggested replacement language for those statements. In the present article, I address nine more claims, about such topics as whether or not most human characteristics are inherited as simple Mendelian traits (determined by one gene with a dominant and a recessive allele), problems with the Central Dogma of Biology, misunderstandings about the inheritance of traits such as eye color, the relative importance of genetics versus the environment, "genes FOR" language, and junk DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetics is perhaps the most rapidly growing field of science today. Recent findings such as those of the Human Genome Project have led to new understandings of basic genetic phenomena and even to increased confusion about some basic genetic ideas, such as the nature of the gene. These developments directly influence how we should teach genetics. This article considers eight claims typically made by introductory biology teachers and considers how they differ from current understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]