Encyclopedia of Genetics - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1884964346 ISBN 13: 9781884964343

Publisher: Routledge, 2001

Synopsis

The Encyclopedia includes 125 entries, beginning with the origins of genetics including historical background on the work of Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin, and progressing to the structure of DNA and modern theories such as selfish genes. All branches of genetics are covered, including the genetics of bacteria, viruses, insects, animals and plants, as well as humans. Important topical issues such as the human genome project, bioethics, the law and genetics, genetic disorders, GM crops, and the use of transgenic animals for food and pharmaceutical products are fully surveyed. A section on techniques and biotechnology includes modern methods of analysis, from DNA fingerprinting to the new science of bioinformatics. The articles, all written by specialists, are largely non-mathematical and progress from general concepts to deeper understanding. Each essay is fully referenced, with suggestions for further reading. The text is supplemented by extensive illustrations, tables and a color plate section. The Encyclopedia of Genetics will be a valuable companion for all those working or studying in the various fields of genetical research, and a fascinating reference for all readers with a basic background in biology. Also includes color inserts.

About this title

About the Author

Eric C.R Reeve, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK. Essays: From the great apes to Gregor Mendel, Genetics of quantitative characters, Gregor Mendel.

Reviews

This one-volume text covers the field of genetics from Gregor Mendel's experiments in 1854 to current advances in genomics. Surprisingly absent from the preliminary section, "Introducing Genetics," is a discussion of James Watson and Francis Crick's 1953 discovery of the DNA double helix, which is a major oversight. The rest of the book is arranged in 14 broad subject areas. The entries comprise substantive articles authored by renowned geneticists, each with a glossary and a list of recommended reading. Consumers will find the language far too technical and should stick to the authoritative The Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders and Birth Defects (Facts On File, 1999). But the undergraduate science majors for whom this book was written will find the writing clear and will appreciate the effort to synthesize current knowledge in the field. A chapter discussing proteomics would have been nice, now that we have entered the post-genomic era but that happened as recently as spring 2001. Recommended for academic collections. Gail Hendler, New York Univ. Sch. of Medicine
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1884964346
• ISBN 13: 9781884964343
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 984
• Editor: Reeve Eric C.R.