Human Heredity: Principles and Issues » (8th Edition)

Michael R. Cummings is the author or co-author of a number of widely used college textbooks, including HUMAN HEREDITY: PRINCIPLES AND ISSUES, HUMAN GENETICS AND SOCIETY, BIOLOGY: SCIENCE AND LIFE, CONCEPTS OF GENETICS, GENETICS: A MOLECULAR PERSPECTIVE, and ESSENTIALS OF GENETICS. He also has written sections on genetics for the MCGRAW-HILL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY and has published a newsletter on advances in human genetics for instructors and students. He received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Northwestern University. His doctoral work, conducted in the laboratory of Dr. R.C. King, centered on ovarian development in Drosophila melanogaster. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he taught for more than 25 years, his research interests involved the role of the short arm/centromere region of human chromosome 21 aberrations. He now teaches at Illinois Institute of Technology. Dr. Cummings' interest in scientific literacy prompted him to organize a course in human genetics for nonmajors. He still teaches this course at present, in addition to genetics for biology majors and general biology.

HUMAN HEREDITY presents the concepts underlying human genetics in clear, concise language and provides relevant examples that you can apply to yourself, your family, and your work environment. Author Michael Cummings explains the origin, nature, and amount of genetic diversity present in the human population and how that diversity has been shaped by natural selection. The artwork and accompanying media visually support the material by teaching rather than merely illustrating the ideas under discussion. Examining the social, cultural, and ethical implications associated with the use of genetic technology, Cummings prepares you to become a well-informed consumer of genetic-based health care services or provider of health care services.

1. A Perspective on Human Genetics. 2. Cells and Cell Division. 3. Transmission of Genes from Generation to Generation. 4. Pedigree Analysis in Human Genetics. 5. The Inheritance of Complex Traits. 6. Cytogenetics: Karyotypes and Chromosome Aberrations. 7. Development and Sex Determination. 8. The Structure, Replication, and Chromosomal Organization of DNA. 9. Gene Expression and Gene Regulation. 10. From Proteins to Phenotypes. 11. Mutation: The Source of Genetic Variation. 12. Genes and Cancer. 13. An Introduction to Genetic Technology. 14. Biotechnology and Society. 15. Genomes and Genomics. 16. Reproductive Technology, Genetic Testing, and Gene Therapy. 17. Genes and the Immune System. 18. Genetics of Behavior. 19. Population Genetics and Human Evolution.