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2: DNA Structure and Sequences

  • Page ID
    171254
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    • 2.1: Overview
      Genetics explains how heritable information shapes traits, from selective breeding to DNA-based tools that enable prediction, intervention, and responsible decision making in medicine, agriculture, and society.
    • 2.2: DNA is the Genetic Material
      Foundational experiments established DNA as the carrier of heredity and its semi-conservative replication. Prion diseases exemplify lethal, protein-based inheritance that sits outside nucleic acid rules.
    • 2.3: The Structure of DNA
      Notes that classic experiments established DNA as the genetic material before its structure was understood, setting the stage for later structural models.
    • 2.4: Genes are the Basic Units of Inheritance
      Mendel’s crosses revealed discrete hereditary units that segregate and assort, replacing blending ideas and setting the stage for chromosomes, alleles, and predictable trait patterns.
    • 2.5: The Function of Genes
      Beadle and Tatum linked individual genes to steps in metabolic pathways, showing that genotype specifies cellular function through gene products and providing a template for modern molecular genetics.
    • 2.6: The Nuclear Genome
      Defines the nuclear genome and the C-value, measured in base pairs or picograms. Observes a general correlation between C-value and organismal size or complexity.


    2: DNA Structure and Sequences is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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