Cellular genetics

Cellular genetics studies how genetic information is stored, copied, expressed, and passed on in cells. DNA sequences provide instructions for RNA and proteins, while regulation affects when and how those instructions are used.

How it works

In eukaryotes, most DNA is organized into chromosomes in the nucleus, with additional DNA in mitochondria and, in plants and algae, chloroplasts. Prokaryotes usually keep their main chromosome in the nucleoid region.

Example or application

A gene may be transcribed into RNA, and many RNA molecules are translated into proteins. Other RNAs have structural or regulatory roles. Changes in DNA can affect a product, but not every variant changes cell function.

Scope and limits

Genetics is not a simple one-gene-to-one-trait story. Environment, gene regulation, interactions among genes, and cell type all affect outcomes.

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