Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Molecular geneticists seek to understand how genes are inherited, modified, expressed and regulated. The field of molecular genetics and genomics has been astonishingly successful in deciphering the genetic code and providing us with a clear picture of the nature of the gene, but much remains to be learned about fundamental genetic mechanisms. How is it that only the appropriate genes are turned on in a particular cell type? How do cells replicate their genes with such remarkable speed and fidelity? How does the cell choreograph the events of cell division so that only one copy of each gene is passed on to the next generation? By what processes do genes become altered to provide the raw material for evolution? The possibility of finding answers to such fundamental questions makes molecular genetics and genomics an exciting field of biology.