Genetics and Heredity

Genetics and Heredity is the fundamental study of how traits are passed from parents to offspring, centering on genes as the basic units of inheritance. These genes, which are segments of DNA, carry the instructions that determine an organism's specific characteristics. This field investigates the mechanisms and predictable patterns of inheritance, exploring how different versions of a gene (alleles) interact to produce an organism's observable traits, or phenotype. By examining how genetic information is transmitted and expressed across generations, the study of genetics and heredity provides the essential framework for understanding both the similarities and the variations observed among related individuals and within entire populations.

1. Introduction to Genetics and Heredity
   1. Defining Genetics
   2. Defining Heredity
   3. Defining Variation
   4. Historical Perspectives
      1. Early Theories of Inheritance
         1. Preformationism
         2. Blending Inheritance
         3. Pangenesis
      2. Gregor Mendel and the Birth of Genetics
         1. Mendel's Background
         2. Mendel's Experiments with Pea Plants
         3. Rediscovery of Mendel's Work
      3. The Chromosome Theory of Inheritance
         1. Sutton's Contributions
         2. Boveri's Contributions
         3. Chromosomes as Carriers of Genes
      4. The Discovery of DNA's Structure
         1. Watson and Crick's Model
         2. Franklin's X-ray Crystallography
         3. Wilkins' Contributions
         4. Impact on Modern Genetics
   5. Core Terminology
      1. Gene
      2. Allele
      3. Genotype
      4. Phenotype
      5. Homozygous
      6. Heterozygous
      7. Dominant
      8. Recessive
      9. Character
      10. Trait
      11. Locus
      12. Genome