Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

The biological science that deals with the phenomena and mechanisms of heredity. In biology, pertaining to genes or to inherited characteristics. Also, in psychiatry, pertaining to the historical development of one’s psychological attributes or disorders. The branch of biology concerned with heredity, it was literally invented by Gregor Mendel in the 19th century. It is…

Analyzing DNA to look for a genetic alteration that may indicate an increased risk for developing a specific disease or disorder. The analysis of human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), chromosomes, proteins, and certain metabolites in order to detect heritable disease-related genotypes, mutations, or phenotypes for clinical purposes. Such purposes include predicting risk of…

Directed modification of the gene complement of a living organism by such techniques as altering the DNA, substituting genetic material by means of a virus, transplanting whole nuclei, transplanting cell hybrids, etc. The selective, deliberate alteration of genes (genetic material) by man. This term has come to have a very broad meaning including the manipulation…

The specifications for how information, stored in nucleic acid sequence (base sequence), is translated into protein sequence (amino acid sequence). The start, stop, and order of amino acids of a protein is specified by consecutive triplets of nucleotides called codons (codon). The set of triplet code words in DNA coding for all of the amino…

A large collection of cloned DNA fragments from a given organism, tissue, organ, or cell type. It may contain complete genomic sequences (genomic library) or complementary DNA sequences, the latter being formed from messenger RNA and lacking intron sequences.  

Fusion of structural genes to analyze protein behavior or fusion of regulatory sequences with structural genes to determine mechanisms of regulation.  

The phenotypic manifestation of a gene or genes by the processes of gene action. The production of RNA and cellular proteins. The process by which genetic information from the DNA is carried to the RNA and translated into proteins.  

It encodes the major envelope protein and includes all the specifications for HBsAg.  

A genetic rearrangement through loss of segments of DNA or RNA, bringing sequences which are normally separated into close proximity. This deletion may be detected using cytogenetic techniques and can also be inferred from the phenotype, indicating a deletion at one specific locus.  

The asymmetrical segregation of genes during replication which leads to the production of non-reciprocal recombinant strands and the apparent conversion of one allele into another. Thus, e.g., the meiotic products of an Aa individual may be AAAa or aaaA instead of AAaa, i.e., the A allele has been converted into the a allele or vice…