An awareness of some of the basic principles of heredity dates to antiquity, but a scientific understanding of how traits are passed from parent to offspring began with the Austrian monk Gregor Mendel (1822 - 84) and his famous experiments on garden peas. In the early twentieth century, the importance of Mendel's work was realized and chromosomes were first seen with the microscope.

Cytogenetics uses techniques of cytology and microscopy to study chromosome structure and number and their relationship to hereditary traits. Molecular genetics uses the techniques of biochemistry to study DNA's structure, replication, and control of cellular function. In this chapter, we bring together some of the findings of molecular genetics, cytogenetics, and Mendelian heredity to explore what the genes are, how they regulate cellular function, and how they are passed on when cells divide and individuals reproduce. Some basic concepts of heredity are also introduced to provide a foundation for understanding concepts in the chapters that follow.

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