Principles of Genetics

The twentieth century began with the rediscovery of Mendel’s rules of inheritance and ended with the complete sequence of the human genome, one of the most monumental scientific accomplishments of all time. What lies in the future? What will the twenty-first century, the century of genomics, bring? Will geneticists a hundred years from now speak of a complete cure for cancer, heart disease, and mental illness? Will we have a cure for autoimmune diseases such as diabetes and arthritis? Will aging be slowed or even prevented? Will we have a complete understanding of the process of development and a concurrent elimination of birth defects and developmental problems? Will genetics put an end to world hunger? How will we live, and what will be the quality of our lives? The students who now are taking genetics will learn the answers to these questions as time progresses. Some students will contribute to the answers.