Principles of Genetics and Breeding

1.1.2 Genes

• Genes are bits of biochemical instructions found inside the cells of every organism from bacteria to humans.
• Offspring receive a mixture of genetic information from both parents.
• This process contributes to the variation of traits, such as the color of a flower’s petals, the markings on a butterfly’s wings, or body pigmentation in fish.
• Geneticists try to understand how the information encoded in genes is used and controlled by cells and how it is transmitted from one generation to the next.
• Geneticists also study how tiny variations in genes can disrupt an organism’s development or cause disease.
• Genetic information is encoded and transmitted from generation to generation in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
• DNA is a coiled molecule organized into structures called chromosomes within cells.
• Segments along the length of a DNA molecule form genes.
• Genes direct the synthesis of proteins.
• Although all humans share the same set of genes, individuals can inherit different forms of a given gene, making each person genetically unique.