Genetics For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond This Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 The Lowdown on Genetics: Just the Basics
	Chapter 1 Welcome to Genetics: Just About Everyone Loves a Good Pair of Genes
		Unwrapping Life’s Secrets
		Classical Genetics: Studying How Traits Are Transmitted within Families
		Molecular Genetics: Diving into DNA Science
		Population Genetics: Studying the Genetics of Groups
		Quantitative Genetics: Exploring the Heredity of Complex Traits
	Chapter 2 Basic Cell Biology
		Entering the World of the Cell
			Cells without a nucleus
			Cells with a nucleus
		Exploring Your DNA, Chromosomes, and Genes
			Examining the basics of chromosomes
				Counting out chromosomes
				Examining chromosome anatomy
			Finding your genes
		Mitosis: Splitting Up
			Step 1: Time to grow
				G1 phase
				S phase
				G2 phase
			Step 2: Dividing up the chromosomes
				Prophase
				Metaphase
				Anaphase
				Telophase
			Step 3: The big divide
		Meiosis: Making Cells for Sexual Reproduction
			Meiosis I
				Find your partner
				Recombining makes you unique
				Partners divide
			Meiosis II
			Meiosis in the human body
	Chapter 3 Visualize Peas: Discovering the Laws of Inheritance
		Gardening with Gregor Mendel
		Speaking the Language of Inheritance
		Simplifying Inheritance
			Establishing dominance
			Segregating alleles
			Declaring independence
			Predicting with Punnetts
		Finding Unknown Alleles
		Applying Basic Probability to the Likelihood of Inheritance
		Solving Genetics Problems
			Deciphering a monohybrid cross
			Tackling a dihybrid cross
	Chapter 4 Law Enforcement: Mendel’s Laws Applied to Complex Traits
		Dominant Alleles Rule . . . Sometimes
			Blending in with incomplete dominance
			Keeping it fair with codominance
			Hanging back with incomplete penetrance
		Alleles Causing Complications
			More than two alleles
			Lethal alleles
		Making Life More Complicated
			When genes interact
			Genes in hiding
			One gene with many phenotypes
			Genes linked together
		Uncovering More Exceptions to Mendel’s Laws
			Epigenetics
			Genomic imprinting
			Anticipation
			Environmental effects
Part 2 DNA: The Genetic Material
	Chapter 5 DNA: The Pattern for Life
		Chemical Ingredients of DNA
			Covering the bases
			Adding a spoonful of sugar and a little phosphate
		Assembling the Double Helix: The Structure of DNA
			Starting with one: Forming the backbone
			Putting the double in double helix
		Examining Different Varieties of DNA
			Nuclear DNA
			Mitochondrial DNA
			Chloroplast DNA
		Digging into the History of DNA
			Discovering DNA
			Obeying Chargaff’s rules
			Hard feelings and the helix: Franklin, Wilkins, Watson, and Crick
	Chapter 6 Chromosomes: The Big Picture
		Packaging the Double Helix
		Anatomy of a Chromosome
		Two Chromosomes Are Better than One (or Three)
		Sex Chromosomes: Is It a Boy or Girl?
			Sex determination in humans
				The very important X
				The not very significant Y
				Coping with X and Y inequality
			Sex determination in other organisms
				Insects
				Birds
				Reptiles
	Chapter 7 Replication: A Copy Machine for DNA
		Unzipped: Creating the Pattern for More DNA
		How DNA Copies Itself
			Meeting the replication crew
				Template DNA
				Nucleotides
				Enzymes
			Splitting the helix
			Priming the process
			Leading and lagging
			Joining all the pieces
			Proofreading replication
		Replication in Eukaryotes
			Pulling up short: Telomeres
			Finishing the job
		How Circular DNAs Replicate
			Theta
			Rolling circle
			D-loop
	Chapter 8 Transcription: Getting Instructions from DNA
		RNA: DNA’s Close Cousin
			Using a slightly different sugar
			Meeting a new base: Uracil
			Stranded!
		Transcription: Copying DNA’s Message into RNA’s Language
			Getting ready to transcribe
				Locating the gene
				Locating the right strand
				Gathering building blocks and enzymes
			Initiation
			Elongation
			Termination
		Post-transcription Processing
			Adding cap and tail
			Editing the message
	Chapter 9 Translating the Genetic Code
		Discovering the Good in a Degenerate
			Considering the combinations
			Framed! Reading the code
			Almost universal
		Meeting the Translating Team
		Taking the Translation Trip
			Initiation
				Charge! Pairing tRNAs with amino acids
				Putting the ribosome together
			Elongation
			Termination
		Proteins Are Powerful
			Recognizing radical groups
			Giving the protein its shape
	Chapter 10 Gene Expression: Finding the Right Tool for the Job
		Getting Your Genes Under Control
		To Be Expressed or Not To Be Expressed?
		Regulating Eukaryotic Gene Expression: A Time and Place for Everything
		Controlling Transcription Before It Starts
		Regulation of Gene Transcription: Flipping the Switch
			Proteins controlling transcription
			Sequences controlling genes
			Hormones controlling transcription
		Post-transcriptional Control
			Nip and tuck: RNA splicing
			Shut up! RNA silencing
			mRNA expiration dates
		Gene Control Lost in Translation
			Modifying where translation occurs
			Modifying when translation occurs
			Modifying the protein shape
		Prokaryotic Gene Expression
			Bacterial gene organization
			Bacterial gene expression
Part 3 Genetics and Your Health
	Chapter 11 What Could Go Wrong: Changes in DNA Sequence
		Heritable or Not Heritable?
		Facing the Consequences of Sequence Variants
		Sorting Out Terminology
			The phenotypic effect of a DNA sequence change
			The type of DNA sequence change
		What Causes Sequence Variants?
			Spontaneous mutation
				Mismatches during replication
				Strand slip-ups
				Spontaneous chemical changes
			Induced mutations
				Chemical mutagens
				Radiation
		Evaluating Options for DNA Repair
	Chapter 12 Chromosome Disorders: It’s All a Numbers Game
		Chromosome Numbers: No More and No Less
		Aneuploidy of the Autosomal Chromosomes
			When chromosomes go missing
			When too many chromosomes are left in
				Down syndrome
				Other autosomal trisomies
		Aneuploidy of the Sex Chromosomes
			Extra Xs
			Extra Ys
			Monosomy X
		Exploring Variations in Chromosome Structure
			Duplications
			Deletions
			Inversions
			Translocations
				Reciprocal translocations
				Robertsonian translocations
			Other things that go awry with chromosomes
				Polyploidy
				Mosaicism
		How Chromosomes Are Studied
			Big enough to see
			Too small for the naked eye
		Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing for Aneuploidy
	Chapter 13 Taking a Closer Look at the Genetics of Cancer
		Defining Cancer
			Benign growths: Not always so harmless
			Malignancies: Seriously scary results
			Metastasis: Cancer on the move
		Recognizing Cancer as a DNA Disease
			Exploring the cell cycle and cancer
				Genes gone wrong: Oncogenes
				The good guys: Tumor-suppressor genes
			Demystifying chromosome abnormalities
		Breaking Down the Types of Cancers
			Hereditary breast cancer
			Hereditary colorectal cancer
	Chapter 14 Genetic Counseling, Risk Assessment, and Genetic Testing
		Getting to Know Genetic Counselors
		Building and Analyzing a Family Tree
		Autosomal Inheritance: No Differences Among the Sexes
			Autosomal dominant traits and disorders
			Autosomal recessive traits and disorders
		Found on Sex Chromosomes: Sex-linked Inheritance
			X-linked recessive traits
			X-linked dominant traits
			Y-linked traits
			Sex-limited traits
			Sex-influenced traits
		Testing for Genetic Disorders
			Diagnostic testing
			Prenatal diagnosis
			Carrier testing
			Predictive and susceptibility testing
			Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
			Pharmacogenetic testing
	Chapter 15 Treating Genetic Disorders and Using Genetics to Tailor Treatment
		Alleviating Genetic Disease through Gene Therapy
		Inserting Healthy Genes into the Picture
		Finding Vehicles to Get Genes to Work
			Viruses that join right in
			Viruses that are a little standoffish
		Progress on the Gene Therapy Front
		Utilizing Genetic Information for Precision Medicine
			Pharmacogenetics (and pharmacogenomics)
			Cytochrome P450 and drug metabolism
			Decreasing the risk of side effects of treatment
			Increasing the effectiveness of treatment
Part 4 Genetics and Your World
	Chapter 16 Tracing Human History and the Future of Populations
		Genetic Variation Is Everywhere
			Allele frequencies
			Genotype frequencies
		Breaking Down the Hardy-Weinberg Law of Population Genetics
			Relating alleles to genotypes
			Populations in balance
			Violating the law
		Mapping the Gene Pool
			One big happy family
			Ancestry testing
			Uncovering the secret social lives of animals
		Changing Forms over Time: The Genetics of Evolution
			Genetic variation is key
			Where new species come from
			Growing the evolutionary tree
	Chapter 17 Solving Mysteries Using DNA
		Rooting through Your DNA to Find Your Identity
		Investigating the Scene: Where’s the DNA?
			Collecting biological evidence
			Moving to the lab
				Outlining the powerful PCR process
				Constructing the DNA fingerprint
		Employing DNA to Catch Criminals (And Free the Innocent)
			Matching the evidence to the bad guy
			Taking a second look at guilty verdicts
		It’s All Relative: Finding Family
			Paternity testing
			Relatedness testing
				Reconstructing individual genotypes
				Bringing closure in times of tragedy
	Chapter 18 DNA Sequencing: Decoding the Genome
		Sequencing: Reading the Language of DNA
			Identifying the players in DNA sequencing
			Finding the message in sequencing results
			Newer, cheaper, faster
		Sequencing Your Way to the Human Genome
		Trying on a Few Genomes
			The yeast genome
			The roundworm genome
			The chicken genome
	Chapter 19 Genetic Makeovers: Using Genetic Engineering to Change the Genome
		Genetically Modified Organisms Are Everywhere
		Old Genes in New Places
			Making a transgenic (recombinant) organism
			Making a transgene using recombinant DNA technology
			Modifying the gene to reside in its new home
		Looking at the GMO Menagerie
			Transgenic animals
			Transgenic insects
			Transgenic bacteria
		Transgenic Plants
			Getting new genes into the plant
			Exploring commercial applications
			Weighing points of contention
				Establishing food safety
				Spreading escaped transgenes
				Developing resistance
				Damaging unintended targets
				Addressing social justice
		Changing the Blueprint: Gene Editing
			CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing
			Germline versus somatic gene editing
			Discussing the ethics of gene editing
	Chapter 20 Giving Ethical Considerations Their Due
		Profiling Genetic Discrimination
		Ordering Up Designer Babies
		Ethical Issues Surrounding Genetic Testing
			Informed consent
			Patient autonomy
			Privacy and confidentiality
			Incidental findings
			Direct-to-consumer testing
		Practicing Safe Genetic Treatments
		Genetic Property Rights
Part 5 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 21 Ten Hot Issues in Genetics
		Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing
		Whole Exome Sequencing
		Whole Genome Sequencing
		Stem Cell Research
		The ENCODE Project
		Proteomics
		Gene Chips
		Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
		Circumventing Mother Nature
		Genetics from Afar
	Chapter 22 Ten Pathways to a Career in Genetics
		Laboratory Technicians
		Graduate Student
		Post-doctoral Fellows
		Research Scientist
		College or University Professor
		Clinical Laboratory Director
		Clinical Geneticist
		Genetic Counselor
		Genetic Counseling Assistant
		Forensic Geneticist
Index
About the Authors
EULA