Concepts of Genetics, Global Edition, 12th edition

For all introductory genetics courses.

Teach students core genetics concepts and applications

Concepts of Genetics emphasizes the fundamental ideas of genetics, while exploring modern techniques and applications of genetic analysis. This best-selling text continues to provide understandable explanations of complex, analytical topics and recognizes the importance of teaching students how to become effective problem solvers.

The 12th Edition has been extensively updated to provide comprehensive coverage of important, emerging topics such as CRISPR-Cas and the study of posttranscriptional gene regulation in eukaryotes. An expanded emphasis on ethical considerations that genetics is bringing into everyday life is addressed in Genetics, Ethics, and Society and Case Study features.

Mastering Genetics is not included.

Students, if Mastering Genetics is a recommended/mandatory component of the course, please ask your instructor for the correct ISBN. Mastering Genetics should only be purchased when required by an instructor. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

Reach every student by pairing this text with Mastering Genetics

MasteringTM is the teaching and learning platform that empowers you to reach every student. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, Mastering personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student.

This title is a Pearson Global Edition. The Editorial team at Pearson has worked closely with educators around the world to include content which is especially relevant to students outside the United States.

Keep Your Course Current and Relevant

• Two new Special Topics in Modern Genetics mini-chapters explore cutting-edge topics, including CRISPR-Cas and Genomic Editing and Advances in Neurogenetics: The Study of Huntington Disease.
• All Special Topics chapters include a series of questions that help students review key ideas or facilitate personal contemplations and group discussions.
• Assessment questions for Special Topics in Modern Genetics Chapters are assignable in Mastering Genetics.
• Reorganized and expanded coverage of gene regulation in eukaryotes reflects recent discoveries that reveal how RNA in many forms plays critical roles in the regulation of eukaryotic gene activity. A single chapter on this topic in previous editions has been expanded to three: Transcriptional Regulation in Eukaryotes (Chapter 17), Posttranscriptional Regulation in Eukaryotes (Chapter 18), and Epigenetics (Chapter 19).
• An increased emphasis on ethical considerations helps students think through ethical aspects of genetics-related issues. Essays that used to be known as Genetics, Technology, and Society have been replaced or revised as Genetics, Ethics, and Society. In addition, each chapter ends with a Case Study, each of which raises ethical questions.
• Modern Approaches to Understanding Gene Function feature challenges students to understand how modern gene targeting approaches (such as the use of transgenic animals, knockout animals, and RNA interference) have dramatically advanced our understanding of gene function. Each entry highlights representative experimental approaches, analyzes experimental data, and relates to a concept discussed in the chapter. Each feature includes questions for further analysis or discussion.

Motivate Students to Develop and Practice Problem-solving Skills

• Updated! Mastering Genetics is an online homework and assessment program that guides students through complex topics in genetics, using in-depth tutorials that coach students to correct answers with hints and feedback specific to their misconceptions and errors. See “Personalize Learning with Mastering Genetics.”
• Now Solve This Problems are integrated throughout each chapter to test student knowledge while learning chapter content. Exercises include a hint to guide students and a brief answer is provided in the appendix. One Now Solve This problem per chapter is linked to related end of chapter problems to make it easier for professors to assign similar problems for homework.
• Insights and Solutions sections strengthen students’ problem solving skills by showing step-by-step solutions and rationales for select problems.
• Problems and Discussion Questions are found at the end of every chapter and most are assignable in Mastering Genetics.
• Extra Spicy Problems challenge students to solve complex problems, many based on data derived from primary genetics literature.
• How Do We Know? questions appear as the first entry in the Problems and Discussion Questions and ask students to identify the experimental basis underlying important concepts and conclusions—that is, how we know what we know. Students are asked to review numerous findings discussed in the chapter and to summarize the process of discovery that was involved.

Emphasize the Fundamental Ideas of Genetics

• A Concept Question, found as the second question in the Problems and Discussion Questions,

About the Book

Keep Your Course Current and Relevant

• Two new Special Topics in Modern Genetics mini-chapters explore cutting-edge topics, including CRISPR-Cas and Genomic Editing and Advances in Neurogenetics: The Study of Huntington Disease.
• All Special Topics chapters include a series of questions that help students review key ideas or facilitate personal contemplations and group discussions.
• Assessment questions for Special Topics in Modern Genetics Chapters are assignable in Mastering Genetics.
• Reorganized and expanded coverage of gene regulation in eukaryotes reflects recent discoveries that reveal RNA in many forms play critical roles in the regulation of eukaryotic gene activity. A single chapter on this topic in previous editions has been expanded to three: Transcriptional Regulation in Eukaryotes (Chapter 17), Posttranscriptional Regulation in Eukaryotes (Chapter 18), and Epigenetics (Chapter 19).
• An increased emphasis on ethical considerations helps students think through ethical aspects of genetics-related issues. Essays that used to be known as Genetics, Technology, and Society have been replaced or revised as Genetics, Ethics, and Society. In addition, each chapter ends with a Case Study, each of which raises ethical questions.

Motivate Students to Develop and Practice Problem-solving Skills

• Updated! Mastering Genetics is an online homework and assessment program that guides students through complex topics in genetics, using in-depth tutorials that coach students to correct answers with hints and feedback specific to their misconceptions and errors. See “Personalize Learning with Mastering Genetics.”

Engage Students in Active and Cooperative Learning

• Genetics, Ethics, and Society essays provide a synopsis of an ethical issue related to a current finding in genetics that impacts directly on society today. It includes a section called Your Turn, which directs students to related resources of short readings and websites to support deeper investigation and discussion of the main topic of each essay.
• Case studies at the end of each chapter have been updated with new topics. Students can read and answer questions about a short scenario related to one of the chapter topics. The Case Studies link the coverage of formal genetic knowledge to everyday societal issues, and they include ethical considerations.

Chapter Content Updates:

Chapter 1: Introduction to Genetics

• New introductory vignette that discusses the discovery and applications of the genome-editing CRISPR-Cas system
• Updated section called: We Live in the Age of Genetics

Chapter 5: Sex Determination and Sex Chromosomes

• Updated content on the XIST gene product as a long noncoding RNA
• New insights about a novel gene involved in temperature sensitive differentiation of snapping turtles and lizards, as well as the impact of climate change on sex, sex reversal, and sex ratios

Chapter 9: Extranuclear Inheritance

• Updated information on mtDNA disorders and nuclear DNA mismatches

Chapter 11: DNA Replication and Recombination

• New coverage of the role of telomeres in disease, aging, and cancer
• New and expanded coverage of telomeres and chromosome stability, explaining how telomeres protect chromosome ends

Chapter 13: The Genetic Code and Transcription

• New coverage on transcription termination in bacteria
• New section entitled Why Do Introns Exist?
• Updated coverage on RNA editing

Chapter 14: Translation