genetics

[juh-net-iks]

noun

(used with a singular verb)

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

2. the genetic properties and phenomena of an organism.

genetics

/ dʒɪˈnɛtɪks /

noun

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

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

genetics

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

genetics

1. 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.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of genetics¹

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

Example Sentences

These enzymes operate similarly in all mammals, including humans, and their levels vary based on genetics, diet, and other biological factors.

Read more on Science Daily

In many states, genetics determine who can make a claim on inheritances in the absence of a will or trust.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Leonard G. Miller Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, and an associate professor of pathology and human genetics.

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“Gödel, Escher, Bach” is a virtuoso display of flexible thinking, connecting genetics, math, computer science, art and music.

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As Prof King puts it: "the marrying of history and genetics".

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Related Words

• ancestry 
• lineage