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genetics

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: genètics

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology

From Ancient Greek γένεσις (génesis, “origin”). Coined by English biologist William Bateson in 1905 in a letter to zoologist Adam Sedgwick, and first used publicly by Bateson at a lecture to the International Conference on Plant Hybridization in 1906.

Pronunciation

Noun

genetics (uncountable)

  1. (biology) The branch of biology that deals with the transmission and variation of inherited characteristics, in particular chromosomes and DNA.
    • 1908, William Bateson, The Methods and Scope of Genetics: An Inaugural Lecture Delivered 23 October 1908:
      If we want to raise mangels that will not run to seed, or to breed a cow that will give more milk in less time, or milk with more butter and less water, we can turn to Genetics with every hope that something can be done in these laudable directions.
    • 2017, Adam Rutherford, A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, The Experiment, →ISBN, page 263:
      Genetics has shown that people are different, and these differences cluster according to geography and culture, but never in a way that aligns with the traditional concepts of human races.
    • 2024 January 11, Katie Hunt, “Gene that protected humans 5,000 years ago may be linked to debilitating modern disease”, in CNN‎:
      In commentary accompanying the research, Samira Asgari, an assistant professor in genetics and genomic sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said that it was crucial to extend these types of studies beyond Europe to other regions to “better understand how differences in population history might have contributed to the risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.”
  2. (biology) The genetic makeup of a specific individual or species.
    Synonym: genes
    • 2005, Mark Linden O’Meara, The Feeling Soul: A Roadmap to Healing and Living, Soul Care Publishing, →ISBN, page 45:
      As a result of your father’s, mother’s, and their parents genetics, you are born with a genetic structure that is dealt to you at conception. […] Our ancestry determines our genetics.
    • 2006, Jay Irvin, Fire Your Doctor!: How and When to be Your Own Best Medical Advisor, →ISBN, page 18:
      This amazing occurrence made my head go bong to say the least; it was obvious that Elizabeth had not been “schizophrenic” because of her genetics, nor because of stress, nor malnutrition, nor hypoglycemia, nor because of any of the causes of mental illness that I had learned and rectify, but because of food allergies
    • 2010, Mike Furches, The Keystone Kids, →ISBN, page 238:
      Anthony knew he could excel in boxing because of his genetics. He fought 168 pounds and fought in fights around the Tri-Cities.
    • 2018 November 6, Susan Scutti, “Your Grandma may be old, but that doesn’t mean you will be, researchers say”, in CNN‎:
      Melzer and Luke C. Pilling, a research fellow in genomic epidemiology at the University of Exeter Medical School, have also studied the genetics underlying longevity.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

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Occitan

Adjective

genetics

  1. masculine plural of genetic

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