Genetika

Genetika is the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in living organisms. It examines how traits are passed from parents to offspring, how genes influence development and physiology, and how genetic variation arises and persists in populations. The discipline spans multiple levels, from molecular mechanisms to organismal traits and population dynamics.

Core concepts include genes, DNA, chromosomes, alleles, and the central dogma describing the flow of information: DNA is transcribed into RNA and RNA is translated into proteins. Classical genetics describes inheritance patterns observed in breeding and is often summarized by Mendel's laws. Molecular genetics investigates gene structure, function, and regulation. Population genetics analyzes how gene frequencies change over time due to mutation, selection, drift, migration, and recombination. Modern genetics also embraces epigenetics, which studies heritable changes in gene activity not caused by DNA sequence, and genomics, which analyzes entire genomes using high-throughput technologies.

Key methods include genetic mapping, sequencing, gene editing (e.g., CRISPR), and computational analysis. Applications include medicine (genetic testing, personalized therapy, gene therapy), agriculture (selective breeding and biotechnology), and forensic science. Ethical, legal, and social implications cover privacy, consent, equity of access, and the risks and benefits of genetic modification.

Historically, genetika emerged from Gregor Mendel’s pea experiments in the 19th century, followed by the discovery of DNA as the genetic material, the decoding of the genetic code, and the advent of genome sequencing and functional genomics in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.