What makes every person unique? Part of the answer is in our genes. A gene is a basic unit of heredity, the means by which traits get passed from one generation to the next, and genetics is the study ...

Mendel’s monastery garden experiments went largely unnoticed during his life, but their implications would ripple through ...

The genetic bases of the seven pairs of contrasting traits in the garden pea that were described by the ‘father of genetics’, Gregor Mendel, have long puzzled scientists. The discovery of the genetic ...

An individual’s genetics and their environment both shape their personality. However, opinions differ on the degree to which each of these factors influences personality, and how they contribute to ...

The human genome may have been sequenced, but we are still learning about how it works. One of the features of the genome scientists are still deciphering is epigenetics, which refers to the various ...

A random mutation in a gene can alter its function and bring about a new characteristic that can pass down for many generations, but this may not be the only way that organisms can inherit a trait.

In Mendelian inheritance patterns, you receive one version of a gene, called an allele, from each parent. These alleles can be dominant or recessive. Non-Mendelian genetics don’t completely follow ...