---
id:"kb-2026-00366"
title:"Genetics and Heredity"
schema_type:"TechArticle"
category:"science"
language:"en"
confidence:"high"
last_verified:"2026-05-22"
generation_method:"ai_assisted"
ai_models:["claude-opus"]
derived_from_human_seed:true
primary_sources:
  - title:"The Gene: An Intimate History (Siddhartha Mukherjee)"
    type:"book"
    year:2016
    url:"https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Gene/Siddhartha-Mukherjee/9781476733524"
    institution:"Scribner"
secondary_sources:
  - title: "MDN Web Docs — HTTP"
    type: "documentation"
    year: 2026
    url: "https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP"
    institution: "Mozilla"
completeness: 0.88
ai_citations:
  last_citation_check:"2026-05-22"
---

## TL;DR

Genetics studies heredity — how traits pass from parents to offspring. Mendel's laws (1866): segregation (alleles separate) and independent assortment. DNA structure (Watson/Crick, 1953). Human Genome Project (completed 2003) sequenced all ~3 billion base pairs. CRISPR-Cas9 (2012) enables precise gene editing.

## Core Explanation

Mendel: pea plant experiments → dominant/recessive traits. Gene: DNA segment coding for protein. Chromosome: organized DNA (humans: 23 pairs). Mutations: changes in DNA sequence — can be harmful (disease), neutral, or beneficial (evolution). CRISPR: bacterial immune system repurposed for gene editing — Cas9 protein cuts DNA at guide RNA target. Applications: treating genetic diseases, crop improvement. Ethical concerns: human germline editing.

## Further Reading

- [The Gene: An Intimate History (Siddhartha Mukherjee)](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Gene/Siddhartha-Mukherjee/9781476733524)