Genetics (from the Greek genno γεννώ= give birth) is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms. The word "genetics" was first suggested to describe the study of inheritance and the science of variation by the prominent British scientist William Bateson in a personal letter to Adam Sedgwick, dated April 18, 1905. Bateson first used the term "genetics" publicly at the Third International Conference on Genetics (London, England) in 1906.

Heredity and variations form the basis of genetics. Humans applied knowledge of genetics in prehistory with the domestication and breeding of plants and animals. In modern research, genetics provides important tools for the investigation of the function of a particular gene, e.g., analysis of genetic interactions. Within organisms, genetic information generally is carried in chromosomes, where it is represented in the chemical structure of particular DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecules.

Genes encode the information necessary for synthesizing the amino-acid sequences in proteins, which in turn play a large role in determining the final phenotype, or physical appearance, of the organism. In diploid organisms, a dominant allele on one chromosome will mask the expression of a recessive gene on the other.

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msnbc.com: Pet health

Poll: Americans consider pets family
Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:50:16 -0000
Susan Jacobs and her companion Kingston both like chicken and collards, chilling on the couch and riding in her convertible with the breeze tussling his curly black hair.
Dogs being trained to sniff out diabetes
Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:29:30 -0000
Dogs are being trained in Britain as potential life-savers to warn diabetic owners when their blood sugar levels fall to dangerously low levels.
Couple pleads guilty in toxic pet food case
Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:54:12 -0000
A Las Vegas-based company and its owners have pleaded guilty to distributing a tainted ingredient used to make pet food that killed potentially thousands of animals.
Danger in the yard: Toxic plants pose pet threat
Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:55:23 -0000
Some of the most common, and beautiful, ornamental plants can be deadly for pets. Among the most dangerous are azaleas, rhododendron, oleander, foxglove and lily of the valley.
10 of the most toxic plants to pets
Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:18:35 -0000
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has identified these varieties of plants as among the most toxic to pets.
FDA approves cancer drug for dogs
Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:18:05 -0000
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug made specifically to treat cancer in dogs.

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