Genetics – development, division. Genetics in medicine, agriculture and forensics

Proven content

Genetics is a branch of science dealing with the issues of inheritance and the variability of organisms and plants, based on genes. The word “genetics” comes from the Greek “genesis”, meaning “inheritance”.

The development of genetics

The precursor of genetics is Grzegorz Mendel, who at the end of the 1859th century made the first description of the laws of inheritance. The most famous figure in the context of genetics is Charles Darwin, who published the work in XNUMX “On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection”where he laid out his groundbreaking theory of evolution. Despite the passage of more than 150 years, Charles Darwin’s theory is still considered controversial in some circles.

A breakthrough in the development of genetics was the year 1953, when James Watson and Francis Crick described the structure of human DNA, for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize. Currently, knowledge in the field of genetics is used in many areas, including in medicine, agriculture and forensics.

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What is genetics?

The very name gene (i.e. from the Greek genos – beginning) was introduced in 1909 by the Danish scientist Wilhelm Johannsen, who used this term to describe certain elements located in the nucleus of a higher organism’s cell, conditioning the occurrence of a specific morphological feature.

Johannsen also proposed the term “allele” to apply it to different variants of the gene. The terms gene and allele appeared in 1927, while giving lectures at the International Genetic Congress in Berlin.

At the same time, a very important event for genetics was the demonstration by Thomas Hunt Morgan that genes are on chromosomes and the explanation of the genetic basis of sex determination. In turn, the determination of the physical structure of DNA by scientists: James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953, created the foundations for the development of molecular genetics.

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As a teaching aid, the DNA Code educational toy available on Medonet Market at an attractive price may be helpful.

Division of genetics

Genetics can be divided into different types, depending on what is the subject of its research:

1. classical genetics, population genetics – these branches of genetics deal with genetic variation and genetic variation within a population;
2. molecular genetics – this department of genetics studies the structure and function of genes at the cellular level;
3. cancer genetics – in turn, this department of genetics studies the disorders of the cell cycle that lead to neoplastic transformation.

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Genetics in medicine

Genetics in medicine studies the influence of genes on human health. During the Second World War, the advances of genetics served paramedical purposes. The Nazis tried to exterminate people with genetic diseases, striving to create an ideal, disease-free society.

Fortunately, genetics in medicine is now used in a humane way. Research on genetics is primarily used to determine the etiology of diseases and to determine which diseases are encoded in genes.

Thanks to research on genetics in medicine, scientists are able to determine the mechanisms of inheritance of genetic diseases and determine the appropriate methods of their treatment. The achievements of genetics allow to diagnose the probability of genetic diseases already in the prenatal phase.

As prophylactic measures for certain diseases, e.g. cancer, play a very important role, genetics has a huge impact here. Thanks to the knowledge we have gained in the field of genetics, we can assess in which people the risk of cancer is higher and therefore react appropriately much earlier.

An additional advantage is also the high awareness of people who are exposed to a given disease, which is manifested in regular check-ups, which in turn also reduces the chance of the disease.

In addition, it should be mentioned that in the scientific field of medicine, genetics has reached two significant milestones, which are: gene therapy, which is an invaluable method in the treatment of various genetic diseases such as blood cancer, and in this case it consists in DNA extraction from the bone marrow of a sick person, then the genes are exposed to DNA cutting enzymes, then they are modified and finally injected back into the sick person; and cloning, which is known for many years and enables the replacement of the nucleus of an ovum with that of a somatic cell, which may come from the same mother as the ovum.

This technique leads to the self-reproduction of the mother’s genetic makeup. A landmark event occurred in February 1997, when British scientists from Edinburgh announced that they had managed to clone Dolly the sheep using the cells of an adult animal. It should be mentioned, however, that it was not a complete success, as the problem of accelerated cell aging was struggling.

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Genetics in agriculture

Genetics is a branch of science that is also widely used in agriculture. Genetics allows for the crossing and modification of plants and animals. Thanks to genetics, it is possible to obtain the most profitable plant and animal varieties from the point of view of profitability of cultivation and breeding. An example of a genetically modified plant is triticale, which is a cross between wheat and rye.

It also happens that the genetic code of animals is interfered with in order to obtain farm animals with specific features, e.g. rapid weight gain. Genetic modification of animals is also used to obtain certain substances, e.g. sheep have the ability to produce an enzyme that is extremely important in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Thanks to genetic modification, sheep can increase the production of a valuable enzyme.

In agriculture, genetics are also used to obtain crossbreeds of animals. The best known example is the restoration of the bison population, which was possible thanks to interference in the genetic code of cows.

In addition, plant genetic testing has a huge economic impact: many primary crops are genetically modified to increase yields, make them resistant to pests and diseases, and provide herbicide resistance and nutritional value.

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Genetics in forensics

The most spectacular example of using the achievements of genetics is forensics. The DNA code left at the crime scene, unique for every human being, is a field for criminologists for research aimed at finding the perpetrator of a crime.

Thanks to the development of genetics in forensics, many cases from decades ago have been resolved in recent years. Traces containing the genetic code left at the crime scene clearly indicated the perpetrator, but until recently they could not be analyzed and used to determine the perpetrator.

One of the most famous cases concerning the identification of the perpetrator of the crime after many years with the use of genetic tests is the case of Tomasz Komenda. The man was accused of rape and murder, he served 18 years of the sentence. Recently, thanks to DNA tests, unjustly punished Tomasz Komenda regained his freedom.

Genetic testing also allows the identity of the victims to be establishedwhich have so far remained nameless in police archives for decades. Thanks to this, families unsuccessfully looking for their missing relatives receive information about what happened to a member of their family.

It is worth mentioning that even a small amount of biological material left at the scene of a crime can lead law enforcement agencies to the right track.

The source of the material can be, for example: saliva, hair, blood, but also semen or even a cigarette butt. This is because DNA is found in almost every cell in our body. However, in order for the identification of the perpetrator to be successful, it is extremely important that it does not become contaminated with anything, e.g. the genetic material of another person.

This type of research is used, for example, in cases involving murder, drug-related crimes or sexual crimes.

And such cases happen quite often. It sometimes happens that the condition of the body does not allow for its unambiguous identification, even by relatives. However, thanks to genetics, this issue is no longer a problem, it is enough for the victim’s relatives to have items belonging to him, such as a toothbrush or hairbrush, etc.

Then, the DNA is isolated from the objects in order to be able to compare it with samples that were taken directly from the body of the deceased person. Finally, we can get a response that will confirm or deny that the samples tested belong to the deceased.

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Genetics in archeology

Genetics also has achievements in scientific fields such as archeology. The combination of archeology and genetics is called archeogenetics, and it involves the study of ancient DNA using a variety of molecular genetic methods. This form of genetic analysis can be applied to human, animal and plant samples.

Ancient DNA can be extracted from a variety of fossilized specimens, including bones, egg shells, and artificially preserved human or animal tissues. In the case of plants, ancient DNA can be extracted from seeds, tissues, and in some cases from the feces of the creatures that have eaten the plant. Archaeogenetics provides us with genetic evidence of the migration of ancient population groups, evidence of the domestication and evolution of plants and animals.

Ancient DNA linked to the DNA of relatively modern populations allows researchers to conduct comparative studies that bring us extremely important information. The name archeogenetics was coined by the archaeologist Colin Renfrew and comes from the Greek word arkhaios, which means “ancient”, and the term genetics means “the study of heredity”.

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Genetics in pop culture

Genetics also influences aspects of our lives such as pop culture, especially if we are talking about books. It was there that the authors repeatedly discussed aspects of genetics such as mutation, hybridization, cloning, genetic engineering and eugenics, since the nineteenth century.

Genetics is a young science that began in 1900. From the discoveries of Gregor Mendel about the inheritance of traits in pea plants to the XNUMXth century, new sciences and technologies were developed, including molecular biology, DNA sequencing, cloning and genetic engineering. Throughout this scientific revolution, it was not without ethical issues that focused especially on the eugenics movement.

Since then, many science fiction novels and movies have used certain aspects of genetics as their plot motives, often taking one of two paths: a genetic accident with catastrophic consequences; or the feasibility and desirability of the planned genetic change.

It should be remembered, however, that the treatment of science in these stories was unequal and often unrealistic, with it sometimes being discussed at various international scientific symposiums about certain genetic theories presented in books belonging to the science fiction genre.

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