Benjamin A. Pierce - Genetics Essentials: Concepts and Connections

The front cover shows a photo of a leafy sea dragon swimming underwater and an overlaid text reads: Fifth edition, Genetics Essentials: Concepts and Connections, Benjamin Pierce.

Benjamin Pierce

Fifth Edition

Concepts and Connections

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Cover Image: Alastair Pollock Photography/Getty Images

ISBN-13: 978-1-319-38338-1 (epub)

2021, 2018, 2016, 2013 by W. H. Freeman and Company

All rights reserved.

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Macmillan International Higher Education

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To my parents, Rush and Amanda Pierce;

my children, Sarah Pierce Dumas and Michael Pierce;

and my genetic partner, friend, and soul mate

for 40 years, Marlene Tyrrell

Genetics is among the most exciting and important biology courses that you will take. Almost daily, we see examples of the relevance of genetics: the discovery of genes that influence human diseases, traits, and behaviors; the use of DNA sequencing to trace the transmission of pathogens and to study the remains of long-dead organisms; the application of genetic technology to develop new products. Today, genetics is particularly important to the student of biology, serving as the foundation for many biological concepts and processes. It is truly an exciting time to be learning genetics!

Ive had a great deal of fun writing this fifth edition of Genetics Essentials: Concepts and Connections. When writing, I tried to imagine that I was sitting with a small group of students, having a conversation about genetics. My goal as the author of this book is to have that conversation with you. I want to become a trusted guide on your journey through introductory genetics. In this book, Ive tried to share some of what Ive learned in my 40 years of teaching genetics. I provide advice and encouragement at places where students often have difficulty, and I tell stories of the people, places, and experiments of geneticspast and presentto keep the subject relevant, interesting, and alive. My goal is to help you learn the necessary details, concepts, and problem-solving skills while encouraging you to see the elegance and beauty of the larger landscape.

Genetics Essentials: Concepts and Connections was written in response to requests from instructors and students for a more streamlined and focused genetics textbook that covers less content than a full-length genetics textbook while still emphasizing major concepts. It has as its foundation my more comprehensive Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, which is now in its seventh edition.In this fifth edition of Genetics Essentials: Concepts and Connections, I wanted to share some active learning tools that I use in my own classroom: think-pair-share and concept mapping problemsexercises designed for small group workas well as extensive problem sets at the end of each chapter. Additional group learning exercises and digital learning tools are provided on Macmillan Learnings Achieve platform. I encourage you to take advantage of these resources and to work with other students in learning genetics.

At Southwestern University, my office door is always open, and my students frequently drop in to share their own approaches to learning as well as their experiences, concerns, and triumphs. I would love to hear from you by email (), by telephone (512-863-1974), or in person (Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas).

• Ben Pierce
• Professor of Biology
• and Holder of the Lillian Nelson Pratt Chair,
• Southwestern University

The new fifth edition of Genetics Essentials is now supported in Achieve, Macmillans new online learning platform. Similar in approach to Ben Pierces popular and acclaimed Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, this streamlined text covers basic transmission, molecular, and population genetics in just 18 chapters, helping students uncover major concepts of genetics and make connections among those concepts as a way of gaining a richer understanding of the essentials of genetics.

The new fifth edition continues this mission by expanding on the powerful pedagogy and tools that have made this title so successful. New question types, more learning guidelines for students, and an updated art program round out a powerful text, and improvements to the online resources in Achieve give students the conceptual and problem-solving understanding they need for success.

Genetics Essentials provides students with a strong foundation upon which to build their conceptual understanding of the field of genetics. Effective pedagogy in the text complements powerful media and assessments in Achieve to provide a complete learning experience for students.

Conceptual Framework

• Student-friendly writing style
• Chapter opening stories to capture student interest
• Concepts, Concept Checks, Connecting Concepts, Chapter Summaries
• Learning Outcomes (new)

Art and Media

• The art program has been revised to be more modern looking and more understandable for students.
• Animations (with assessment questions) are based on figures in the text and are included in Achieve.
• Model Genetic Organism infographics are scattered throughout the book to familiarize students with the kinds of organisms used in genetic research.