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Genes: A Very Short Introduction

Jonathan Slack

September 2014

ISBN: 9780199676507

136 pages
Paperback
174x111mm

In Stock

Very Short Introductions

Price: £8.99

In this Very Short Introduction to the gene Jonathan Slack explores the discovery, nature, and role of genes in evolution and development. Looking at how genes are understood as a concept, the nature of genetic variation, and how their mutation can lead to disease, this is an ideal guide for anyone curious about what genes are and how they work.

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Description

In this Very Short Introduction to the gene Jonathan Slack explores the discovery, nature, and role of genes in evolution and development. Looking at how genes are understood as a concept, the nature of genetic variation, and how their mutation can lead to disease, this is an ideal guide for anyone curious about what genes are and how they work.

  • Explains the background to the first concept of the gene
  • Looks at the nature of genetic variation in human populations
  • Explains how DNA can be used to trace human ancestry and migration throughout history
  • Considers the use of genetics in forensic science
  • Discusses some of the controversial issues surrounding the use of genes in various contexts
  • Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over six million copies sold worldwide

About the Author(s)

Jonathan Slack, Emeritus Professor at the University of Bath, UK and the University of Minnesota, USA

Professor Jonathan Slack is an emeritus professor at the University of Bath, UK, and the University of Minnesota, USA. He has published widely on genes in development, and has written five academic books. He is currently an editor of the Biochemical Journal and of Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews in Developmental Biology. He is the author of Genes: A Very Short Introduction (OUP 2014) and Stem Cells: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2012).

Table of Contents

    Preface
    1:Genes before 1944
    2:Genes as DNA
    3:Mutations and gene variants
    4:Genes as markers
    5:Genes of small effect
    6:Genes in evolution
    Conclusion: the varied concepts of the gene
    Further reading
    Index

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