genetics

[juh-net-iks]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR genetics ON THESAURUS.COM

noun (used with a singular verb)

Biology. the science of heredity, dealing with resemblances and differences of related organisms resulting from the interaction of their genes and the environment.

the genetic properties and phenomena of an organism.

Origin of genetics

see genetic, -ics; term first proposed in this sense by British biologist William Bateson (1861–1926) in 1905

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for genetics

lineage, ancestry, horticulture, ecology, anatomy, cytology, phytology, pomology, taxonomy, morphology, pathology, physiology, division, dissection, medicine, analysis, investigation, examination, diagnosis, inquiry

Examples from the Web for genetics

Contemporary Examples of genetics

Genetics alone does not an eating disorder make, generally speaking, and Bulik points out that environment still plays a role.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models
Carrie Arnold
January 8, 2015
Nature and nurture, genetics and family background all come into play.
Inside the Mind of an ISIS Jihadi
Jamie Dettmer
September 21, 2014
“Keep in mind that our body shape is often determined by genetics,” says Dr. Ball.
Waist Training: Can You Cinch Your Waist Thin?
DailyBurn
July 18, 2014
Recent research has shown perfectionism to be an issue of genetics.
Face It—We Rubes Will Never Live Like Gwyneth and Jennifer Aniston
Rachel Bertsche
July 2, 2014
Genetics, environmental factors, and other variables contribute to weight gain and eating disorders.
Has ‘The Biggest Loser’ Gone Too Far?
Tricia Romano
February 8, 2014

Historical Examples of genetics

If, then, progress was to be made in Genetics, work of a different kind was required.
Evolution in Modern Thought
Ernst Haeckel
It sprang from genetics and bears the mark of an implicit Darwinian mechanism.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
The metaphors of genetics and evolutionary models can be applied.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
I've been studying up on biology and genetics; talking to Chang got me interested.
This Crowded Earth
Robert Bloch
Lindstrom of Iowa has led in research on the genetics of tomatoes, chromosome relations and mode of inheritance.
The Tomato
Paul Work

British Dictionary definitions for genetics

genetics

noun

(functioning as singular) the branch of biology concerned with the study of heredity and variation in organisms

the genetic features and constitution of a single organism, species, or group

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for genetics

1872, "laws of origination;" see genetic + -ics. A coinage of English biologist William Bateson (1861-1926). Meaning "study of heredity" is from 1891.

genetics in Medicine

genetics

[jə-nĕt′ĭks]

n.

The branch of biology that deals with heredity, especially the mechanisms of hereditary transmission and the variation of inherited traits among similar or related organisms.

genetics in Science

genetics

[jə-nĕt′ĭks]

The scientific study of the principles of heredity and the variation of inherited traits among related organisms.

genetics in Culture

genetics

The study of heredity, or how the characteristics of living things are transmitted from one generation to the next. Every living thing contains the genetic material that makes up DNA molecules. This material is passed on when organisms reproduce. The basic unit of heredity is the gene. (See chromosomes; dominant trait; genetic code; Gregor Mendel; recessive trait; and sexual reproduction.)