The Encyclopedia includes 125 entries, beginning with the origins of genetics including historical background on the work of Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin, and progressing to the structure of DNA and modern theories such as selfish genes. All branches of genetics are covered, including the genetics of bacteria, viruses, insects, animals and plants, as well as humans. Important topical issues such as the human genome project, bioethics, the law and genetics, genetic disorders, GM crops, and the use of transgenic animals for food and pharmaceutical products are fully surveyed. A section on techniques and biotechnology includes modern methods of analysis, from DNA fingerprinting to the new science of bioinformatics. The articles, all written by specialists, are largely non-mathematical and progress from general concepts to deeper understanding. Each essay is fully referenced, with suggestions for further reading. The text is supplemented by extensive illustrations, tables and a color plate section. The Encyclopedia of Genetics will be a valuable companion for all those working or studying in the various fields of genetical research, and a fascinating reference for all readers with a basic background in biology. Also includes color inserts.

Genetic engineering has quickly become one of the more controversial issues of our time. Herring provides a detailed history of the debate in a fair and balanced manner, using proponents' points of view to make individual cases, both pro and con. Narrative chapters cover such topics as the Human Genome Project, gene splicing, cloning, genetically altered foods, and DNA and crime-solving. Students and the general public will find a comprehensive survey of the genetic engineering debate. Appendices include statements from Robert P. George and Peter Singer, two of the most prominent scholars on the subject, and a bibliography of print and electronic resources for further research.

Drawn from the extensive database of Guide to Reference, this up-to-date resource provides an annotated list of print and electronic biomedical and health-related reference sources, including internet resources and digital image collections. Readers will find relevant research, clinical, and consumer health information resources in such areas as Medicine Psychiatry Bioethics Consumer health and health care Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences Dentistry Public health Medical jurisprudence International and global health Guide to Reference entries are selected and annotated by an editorial team of top reference librarians and are used internationally as a go-to source for identifying information as well as training reference professionals. Library staff answering health queries as well as library users undertaking research on their own will find this an invaluable resource.

Finally meeting the need for a laboratory manual on human genetics, this practical guide is the perfect companion title to all major standard textbooks on the subject. The authors all have a high-level research background and are actively involved in teaching and counseling. Based on a standard curriculum in human genetics, each chapter equals one practical unit of the course and topics range from basics in human inheritance to genetics in major disease clusters and from bioinformatics and personalized medicine to genetic counseling.

Recent debate about the ethical and regulatory dimensions of developments in genetics has sidelined societal and cultural aspects, which arguably are indispensable for a nuanced understanding of the complexities of the topic. Regulatory and ethical debates benefit from taking seriously this ’third dimension’ of culture, which often determines the configurations and limits of the space within which scientific, ethical and legal debate can take place. To fill this gap, this volume brings together contributions exploring the mutual relationships between genetics, markets, societies and identities in genetics and genomics. It draws upon the recent transdisciplinary debate on how socio-cultural factors influence understandings of ’genetics2.0' and shows how individual and collective identities are challenged or reinforced by cultural meanings and practices of genetics. This book will become a standard reference for everyone seeking to make sense of the controversies and shifts in the field of genetics in the second decade of the twenty-first century.

The biological sciences cover a broad array of literature types, from younger fields like molecular biology with its reliance on recent journal articles, genomic databases, and protocol manuals to classic fields such as taxonomy with its scattered literature found in monographs and journals from the past three centuries. Using the Biological Literature: A Practical Guide, Fourth Edition is an annotated guide to selected resources in the biological sciences, presenting a wide-ranging list of important sources. This completely revised edition contains numerous new resources and descriptions of all entries including textbooks. The guide emphasizes current materials in the English language and includes retrospective references for historical perspective and to provide access to the taxonomic literature. It covers both print and electronic resources including monographs, journals, databases, indexes and abstracting tools, websites, and associations—providing users with listings of authoritative informational resources of both classical and recently published works. With chapters devoted to each of the main fields in the basic biological sciences, this book offers a guide to the best and most up-to-date resources in biology. It is appropriate for anyone interested in searching the biological literature, from undergraduate students to faculty, researchers, and librarians. The guide includes a supplementary website dedicated to keeping URLs of electronic and web-based resources up to date, a popular feature continued from the third edition.