Hoer_scitable By Nature Education

Hoer_scitable By Nature Education last modified by Gillian Stevens (t0022212) on 10 August 2010 2:54:28 PM

Featured Content

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Essentials of Genetics

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/course-cover/Essentials-of-Genetics-8)

Unit 1: What Is DNA? What Does DNA Do?

What smaller elements make up the complex DNA molecule, how are these elements arranged, and how is information extracted from them? This unit answers each of these questions, and it also provides a basic overview of how DNA was discovered.

Unit 2: How Does DNA Move from Cell to Cell?

The passage of DNA from one cell to another is the basic means by which genetic information — and therefore biological characteristics — can persist relatively unchanged across millions of generations of organisms. The mechanism by which DNA is passed from one generation of cells to the next is a combination of DNA replication and cell division. In this unit, you will learn how DNA is first packaged and then passed on to the next generation during cell division. You will also explore the unpredictable ways in which DNA can change during this process.

Unit 3: How Is Genetic Information Passed between Organisms?

Heredity, or the continuity of traits between parent and offspring, is powered by the physical transmission of DNA between cells during reproduction. In this unit, you will learn about the origins of our modern understanding of heredity, as well as the basic rules that determine how parents’ traits determine the traits of their offspring.

Unit 4: How Do Scientists Study and Manipulate the DNA inside Cells?

Although DNA is so extremely small that we are not able to see it with the naked eye, scientists have developed laboratory techniques to track DNA and even modify it. With these techniques, scientists can assess how active gene transcription is, and what conditions can change it. Scientists can also ask fundamental questions about multiple genes at the same time. In this unit, you will learn what these techniques are, how they are performed, and what they achieve.

Unit 5: How Does Inheritance Operate at the Level of Whole Populations?

Because DNA passes from parent to offspring, there is generally significant genetic similarity between the organisms in a population, provided that the members of this population have descended from common ancestors. For example, although human beings have existed for 200,000 years, there is a less than 0.1% difference (called genetic variability) between the DNA of even the most dissimilar human beings. Nonetheless, the collective genetic makeup of entire populations can change significantly over time. The study of how this happens among both humans and other organisms is called population genetics. In this unit, you will learn how the underlying genetic variability of a population emerges, as well as how and why the collective genetic makeup of a population can change.

Topic Rooms

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topics)

Genetics

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/genetics-5)

To better inform our decisions at the doctor, the grocery store, and at home, it is crucial for us to know something about genetics. As we cultivate this understanding, we need to explore the evidence that supports our modern knowledge of genetics.

Available Articles

Chromosomes and Cytogenetics

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/chromosomes-and-cytogenetics-7)

Cytogenetics is the study of chromosomes and their role in heredity. Thus, this topic room is all about chromosomes: chromosome structure and composition, the methods that scientists use to analyze chromosomes, chromosome abnormalities associated with disease, the roles that chromosomes play in sex determination, and changes in chromosomes during evolution.

Chromosome Analysis (10 Articles)

Chromosome Number (4 Articles)

Chromosome Structure (6 Articles)

Mutations and Alterations in Chromosomes (13 Articles)

Sex Chromosomes (5 Articles)

Chromosome Theory and Cell Division (5 Articles)

Evolutionary Genetics

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/evolutionary-genetics-13)

Those articles that are part of the evolutionary genetics topic room can be arbitrarily divided into five main categories: phylogenetics; mutation and molecular population genetics; the genetics of speciation; genome evolution; and evolution and development (also known as evo-devo).

Genome Evolution (1 Article)

Macroevolution (1 Article)

Microevolution (7 Articles)

Phylogeny (2 Articles)

Speciation (4 Articles)

Gene Expression and Regulation

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/gene-expression-and-regulation-15)

This topic room begins by showing how a quiet, well-guarded string of DNA is expressed to make RNA, and how the messenger RNA is translated from nucleic acid coding to protein coding to form a protein. Along the way, the room also examines the nature of the genetic code, how the elements of code were predicted, and how the actual codons were determined.

Transcription Factors (7 Articles)

From DNA to Protein (6 Articles)

Regulation of Transcription (7 Articles)

Organization of Chromatin (5 Articles)

RNA (5 Articles)

Gene Responses to Environment (9 Articles)

Consequences of Gene Regulation (9 Articles)

Gene Inheritance and Transmission

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/gene-inheritance-and-transmission-23)

Transmission genetics is the study of how genes are passed from one generation to the next. The articles in this room explore a wide range of topics in classical genetics. They also illustrate how the analytical power of gene inheritance combined with the molecular approaches covered in the other topic rooms help us to understand some of the most complex problems in genetics.

The Foundation of Inheritance Studies (11 Articles)

Gene Linkage (5 Articles)

Variation in Gene Expression (6)

Methods for Studying Inheritance Patterns (7)

Genes and Disease

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/genes-and-disease-17)

Understanding the role of genetics in disease has become a central part of medical research. As such, the articles in this topic room explore the complex relationship between human genetics and various disease states. This room examines current medical research and tools targeting these conditions in the effort to better treat or prevent them.

Epigenetics and Disease (2 Articles)

Genetic Origin of Disease (7 Articles)

Tracking Disease Inheritance (5 Articles)

The Genetics of Microbes (4 Articles)

The Genetic Basis of Cancer (10 Articles)

Identifiable Genetic Disease (9 Articles)

The Study of Genetics and Disease (15)

Genetics and Society

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/genetics-and-society-11)

This topic room covers the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genetic advances and their applications. To lay a foundation for ELSI discussions, this collection of articles explores the unique medical, ethical and legal issues encountered in genetic diseases, and the profound impact genetic conditions have at the individual, family, and societal levels.

Genetic Diagnosis and Disease Risks (5 Articles)

Genetic Testing and Human Impact (8 Articles)

Ethical Considerations (9 Articles)

Genetically-Tailored Treatment (6 Articles)

Social Uses of Genetic Discovery (7 Articles)

Genetics and the Law (5 Articles)

Genomics

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/genomics-19)

A genome is an organism's complete set of genetic material. Thus, genomics is genetics on a huge scale, including information about vast numbers of genes and DNA sequences from scores of organisms. The articles in this room explore genomics-based methods for the study of genetic variation, the value of genomic data, and of course, the politics surrounding the uses of genomic data.

Comparative Genomics (5 Articles)

Genome Sequencing and Annotation (6 Articles)

Functional Genomics (4 Articles)

Translational Genomics (6 Articles)

Nucleic Acid Structure and Function

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/nucleic-acid-structure-and-function-9)

The articles in this topic room describe the science surrounding the structure and function of DNA. Here, you will find information on the chemical structure of DNA; organization of DNA into chromosomes, genes, and gene families; the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation; as well techniques related to manipulation of the genetic sequence.

DNA Replication (6 Articles)

Transcription & Translation (4 Articles)

Discovery of Genetic Material (4 Articles)

RNA (8 Articles)

Gene Copies (5 Articles)

Jumping Genes (4 Articles)

Applications in Biotechnology (4 Articles)

Population and Quantitative Genetics

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/population-and-quantitative-genetics-21)

Population and quantitative genetics focus on the genetic basis of variation among the individuals in a population. Population genetics focuses on allele and genotype frequencies, whereas quantitative genetics focuses on the ways that variation in genotype and environment contribute to variance in phenotype among individuals. The articles in this room address both subjects.

Conservation and Ecological Genetics (1 Article)

Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (3 Articles)

Quantitative Trait Loci (3 Articles)

Wright-Fisher Populations (3)

Spotlights

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Doping in Sports

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/spotlight/doping-in-sports-7005401)

The use of synthetic drugs to enhance athletic performance, commonly referred to as doping, has exploded in recent decades. As newer methods for doping emerge, researchers must respond with tests capable of detecting them. This tug-of-war between dopers and testers has advanced the science of human physiology and drug testing significantly. Who is winning in this high-stakes competition?

What is doping?

Attempts at Regulation

How is doping detected?

Ethics of doping in competition

Major doping scandals in recent history

Autism

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/spotlight/autism-8277315)

Unlike so many infectious diseases, reported cases of autism are actually on the rise in the 21st century. As a result, the question of what causes autism is an increasingly crucial one for our society to answer. Is autism caused by genetic factors or by a child's social environment? To what extent do changing standards of diagnosis affect the reported rate of occurrence?

What is autism?

Treatments for autism

Living with autism

Facts and Figures about Autism

Autism and vaccines

The H1N1 Virus

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/spotlight/the-h1n1-virus-6902675)

No illness has dominated international headlines recently like the A-H1N1 virus, also known as the "swine flu." In early 2009, the emergence of A-H1N1 effectively shut down the Mexican economy and created widespread fear. By mid-2009, the virus had spread to become a global pandemic. How should the world's governments respond to this crisis?

What is it?

Vaccination Resources

H1N1 Across the Globe

Social and economic impact

Stem Cells

(external link: http://www.nature.com/scitable/spotlight/stem-cells-6969855)

The use of stem cells in scientific research and medical treatments has sparked controversy because some stem cells are derived from human embryos. Nevertheless, the medical benefits derived from stem cell research are potentially significant. Should governments publicly fund stem cell research, as they fund many other kinds of therapeutic research? Should ethical concerns prevent scientists from conducting such research?

What are stem cells?

How are stem cells manufactured?

How are stem cells used in medicine?

The government landscape

Ethics of stem cell research