4.1 Chapter Objectives

This chapter provides a general overview of genetics, with the goal of introducing topics to be developed in future chapters. By the end of your reading and our in-class discussion, you should be able to:

1. Define the following terms:
   • genetics
   • genes
   • nucleic acid
   • chromosome
   • protein
   • mutation
   • genotype
   • phenotype
   • codon
   • amino acid
   • allele
2. Justify, with an example, this statement: genotype and the environment combine to make phenotype.
3. Explain the connection between gene, allele, chromosome, and DNA.
4. Describe, in general, what DNA does.
5. Explain the basic science of paternity testing.