A brief history of genetics -- What is DNA -- The new biology -- DNA replication -- What information is stored in a gene? -- Where did the notion of messenger RNA come from? -- Transcription -- Translation -- Genetic code -- Pajamo and the operon -- The diversity of gene expression -- A brief reminder of relative size -- A brief reminder of genes in humans -- Prokaryotes versus eukaryotes -- Restriction enzymes and genetic engineering -- Cloning and sequencing genes -- Exons, introns, and splicing -- Chromatin and histones -- Gene families -- Controlling genes for antibodies -- Chromosomes -- Telomeres -- Imprinting and microRNAs: hidden layers of gene regulation -- Epigenetics -- Prions -- The human genome project -- The human genome unveiled -- High throughput sequencing -- Snps -- Manipulating the genome -- Cloning the organism the history -- From the nucleus of an intestinal cell to a whole frog -- Making tissues from stem cells -- Going in the other direction: changing mature cells to stem cells -- The impact of new genetics on medical research -- Diagnosis -- DNA and the judicial system -- PCR -- The impact of dna -- Biotechnology -- The origin of life -- Tinkering -- Selfish genes -- Evolving evolution sources of Darwinian theory -- The big gene bet of the last millennium (1999 a.d.) -- The twists and turns of history: the problems with gradualism -- Watching evolution in action: changes in the stickleback fish -- DNA and genetics and the changing view of human evolution -- Human migration -- Human evolution and the DNA beginnings of vocal expression: birdsong and language