Overview
The award-winning Encyclopedia of Genetics was originally created in 1999 to provide the general reader with a thorough yet accessible overview of one of modern science's most vital and intriguing fields. This 2004 Revised Edition adds 64 new overview essays and 25 new sidebars to the original entries, reflecting the rapid developments in an exciting branch of science that is increasingly shaping our world. The set surveys this continually evolving discipline from a variety of perspectives: historical and technical background along with balanced discussion of recent discoveries and developments. Basics of biology--from the molecular and cellular levels through the organismal level, from Mendelian principles to the latest on DNA sequencing technology--constitute the core coverage. Medical topics comprise a significant number of essays, as the genetic predisposition for many illnesses and syndromes has increasingly come to light. Genetic technologies that promise a world without hunger, disease, and disability--and promise to rewrite human values--are addressed as well.