A journey through genetics Part I / Karobi Moitra.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Moitra, Karobi, author.

Series:

Colloquium digital library of life sciences

Colloquium series on the genetic basis of human disease ; 2168-4022 # 5.

Colloquium series on the genetic basis of human disease, 2168-4022 ; # 5

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Genetics--History.

Genetics.

History.

Geneticists--History.

Geneticists.

Mendel, Gregor, 1822-1884.

Mendel, Gregor.

DNA--History.

DNA.

Genetics--history.

DNA--history.

Medical Subjects:

Genetics--history.

DNA--history.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 88 pages) : illustrations.

Place of Publication:

San Rafael, California (1537 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 USA) : Morgan & Claypool, 2014.

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

Designed to take the reader on an incredible journey to explore the exciting discoveries in genetics and molecular biology. In Part I, the reader will embark on a genetic odyssey starting with the "Father of Genetics," Gregor Mendel, leading on to the amazing story of photo 51 and the discovery of the structure of the DNA double helix, and culminating with the invention of one of the most powerful tools in molecular biology--the polymerase chain reaction. The reader will discover the stories behind the science of genetics while going behind the scenes to take a glimpse into the lives of pioneering scientists and will ultimately come to understand that people are just as important as the science they undertake to do. In short, scientists are human too! This book is targeted toward undergraduate non-majors and also as a "companion" to a standard genetics textbook for Biology majors. The book will also be useful for anyone that wants to understand the stories behind the science of genetics.

Contents:

1. The monk who liked to garden

1.1 The early theories of heredity

1.2 The life of Johann Gregor Mendel

1.3 The monk who liked to garden: experiments by Johann Gregor Mendel

1.3.1 Phenotype versus genotype

1.3.2 The monohybrid cross

1.3.3 Mendel's dihybrid cross

1.3.4 Mendel's postulates (laws) of inheritance

1.3.5 Mendel's postulates explained in the light of modern genetics

1.3.6 The chromosomal theory of inheritance and Mendel's laws (Mendel and meiosis)

2. Is DNA the genetic material?

2.1 Frederick Griffith's experiment (1927)

2.2 The Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty experiment (1944)

2.3 Chargaff's laws

2.4 The Hershey-Chase experiment (1952)

3. The race to the double helix

3.1 Naples, Spring 1951: meeting on the structures of large molecules found in living cells

3.2 Jim Watson meets Francis Crick and discovers the fun of talking to him

3.3 Rosalind's talk at Kings College, London (mid-November 1951)

3.3.1 Construction of DNA models

after months of theorizing!

3.3.2 Rosalind's visit does not go well

3.4 Erwin Chargaff and Chargaff's laws

3.4.1 An ill-fated conversation with Erwin Chargaff

3.5 The structure of B-DNA and Jim's visit with Rosalind

3.5.1 Photo 51 and Rosalind Franklin

3.5.2 The correct model

at last!

3.6 The greatest understatement in molecular biology

3.7 Nucleic acid structure

3.8 Detailed structure of the DNA double helix

3.9 Some physical properties of DNA

4. The central dogma of molecular biology

4.1 Crick's original statement of the central dogma

4.2 Envisioning the central dogma

4.3 Disputes regarding the central dogma

5. DNA replication and repair

5.1 The power of gin and tonic: how Matthew Meselson met Frank Stahl

5.1.1 Semi-conservative replication of DNA

5.1.2 Proof that DNA replicates in a semi-conservative fashion: the Meselson and Stahl experiment (1958)

5.2 The mechanism of DNA replication in Prokaryotes

5.3 The coherent model for DNA replication

5.4 Mechanisms of DNA repair

5.5 Other repair systems

6. Cracking the code of life

6.1 The RNA tie club

6.2 The accomplishments of the RNA tie club

6.3 Cracking the code

6.4 The genetic code

7. The story of protein synthesis

7.1 Protein synthesis in prokaryotes

7.2 Activation of amino acids

7.3 Discovering a mechanism for protein synthesis

8. The very unusual origin of the polymerase chain reaction

8.1 The unusual origin of the polymerase chain reaction: a moonlight drive (retold from ref. [34])

8.2 A story of DNA detectives, a whale of a tale

8.3 The master plan

8.3.1 Scott and Naoko's workflow

8.3.2 Basic principle of PCR

8.3.3 Recipe for a PCR

8.4 The results

8.4.1 The polymerase chain reaction exploits features of the DNA replication process

References

Author biography.

Notes:

Part of: Colloquium digital library of life sciences.

Title from PDF title page (viewed on January 15, 2014).

Series from website.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-88).

ISBN:

9781615046416

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.