Overview
Main description
There’s no easier, faster, or more practical way to learn the really tough subjects
Genetics Demystified offers an up-to-date, highly readable explanation of the basic principles of genetics, covering key topics such as human genetics, DNA, heredity, mutations, traits, chromosomes, and much more. This self-teaching guide comes complete with key points, background information, quizzes at the end of each chapter, and even a final exam. Simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for advanced students, this is a lively and entertaining brush-up, introductory text, or classroom supplement.
Table of contents
FOREWORDChapter 1: Mendelism and Classical GeneticsChapter 2: The Cell -- The Basic Unit of LifeChapter 3: DNA -- The Chemical Basis of HeredityChapter 4: Chromosomes -- Organized DNAChapter 5: Traits -- How Genes Are ExpressedChapter 6: Genomes -- Reading the Genetic CodeChapter 7: Mutations -- Misreading the CodeChapter 8: Cancer -- Genetics Gone AwryChapter 9: Bacteria -- A Different Way of Doing ThingsChapter 10: Organelles -- Genetics Outside the NucleusChapter 11: Viruses -- Hijacking HeredityChapter 12: Genetic Engineering -- Sculpting the CodeChapter 13: Evolution -- Change Driven by GeneticsChapter 14: Humans -- How Genetics Affect UsFINAL EXAMANSWERS TO QUIZ AND FINAL EXAM QUESTIONSSUGGESTED ADDITIONAL REFERENCESGLOSSARYINDEX
Author comments
Edward Willet is a science columnist for radio and newspapers and a former news editor. The author of more than 30 books, including nonfiction on topics as diverse as computing, disease, history, and quantum physics, as well as several science fiction and fantasy novels, he is the recipient of awards from the National Science Teachers Association, the Children's Book Council, and VOYA magazine, among others.
Back cover copy
LEARN THE ABC'S OF DNA (AND HEREDITY)
Now anyone with an interest in genetics can master it -- without med school classes, Nobel Prize intelligence, or unlimited time.
In Genetics Demystified, award-winning science writer Edward Willett provides an effective and painless way to learn or review genetics, from Mendel's first experiments with pea plants through today's controversies over cloning.
With Genetics Demystified, you master the subject one step at a time -- at your own speed. This unique self-teaching guide breaks genetics into manageable, interesting segments, and provides a quiz at the end of each chapter to reinforce learning and pinpoint weaknesses. An 80-question final exam reviews the entire book.
A fast, entertaining route to learning a complex subject, this reader-friendly guide helps you:
- Unravel the mysteries of DNA, RNA, and the Human Genome Project
- Learn how traits pass from one generation to the next
- Find out how DNA is used to track evolution and solve historical and current mysteries
- Discover how genetic engineering may cure and prevent disease and make better crops -- and what the risks may be
- Find the link between cancer and the genetic code
- See how viruses "hijack heredity"
- Take a final exam and grade it yourself!
A quick, effective way to learn genetics, Genetics Demystified is the perfect shortcut to a deeper understanding of one of the most fascinating fields of our times.
