Genetic Science

If you're studying genetics, molecular biology or a related field, odds are good that you will need to learn how to read a codon chart (aka codon table) to better understand the genetic code.

By Marie Look

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average height in the United States is 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 meters) for adult men and 5 feet, 3.5 inches (1.61 meters) for adult women. But some people can reach heights upwards of 7 or 8 feet (2.1 to 2.4 meters)!

By Sascha Bos

Before the widespread use of DNA, establishing the paternity of a child was a tricky business. Ever heard of the oscillophore?

By Dave Roos

After scientists announced the first draft of the human genome, people began to wonder how our new understanding of DNA would change life. Several research institutes stated the accomplishment would revolutionize science and modern medicine -- but how, exactly?

By Marianne Spoon

What's more fun than looking at pictures of DNA and celebrities? Check out Dolly, dimples and dominant and recessive traits in this fun gallery charting how genetics play out in humans (and a few animals).

How can children from the same parents look so different? I mean, why don't all kids from the same parents look exactly alike, since the parents just have one set of chromosomes each and they don't change?

A Punnett square helps predict the possible ways an organism will express certain genetic traits, such as purple flowers or blue eyes.

By Jesslyn Shields

CRISPR is the genius behind innovations that seemed impossible a decade ago. Could you grow tomatoes with the kick of hot sauce or ferment wine that doesn't cause a hangover? That's just two of the things scientists are looking into.

By Joanna Thompson

Twins are unique people who are also eerily similar to each other. Do twins really have ESP? Learn how twinning happens and what types of twins are out there.

By Katherine Neer

Dozens of people are frozen in cryogenic storage facilities, waiting to be revived when science is able to cure whatever killed them. But if they're dead, is revival from a frozen state even possible? Find out.

By Stephanie Watson

Many old couples tend to look like each other due to shared life experiences, according to a recent study. Learn more about why older couples look alike.

By Jacob Silverman

It's a chicken-or-egg situation: What came first? Perplexed people need wonder no longer, as we've sussed out the answer to this ancient riddle.

By Alia Hoyt

We love stories of twins who can sense each other's pain or know what the other is thinking. But is there really such a thing as "twinspiration" or is just coincidence?

By Karen Kirkpatrick

If your eyes are the windows to your soul, then your face might just be the window to your DNA. An examination of your face shape could determine if you suffer from a genetic disorder.

By Josh Clark

Ever hear that urban legend about waking up without your kidney? Would organ thieves have to find a new line of work if cloned organs became a reality?

By Cristen Conger

What does it take to be considered a genius? Were the Mozarts and Monets of the world born with it? Or did their environment shape who they became?

By Elizabeth Sprouse

When the traffic lights are functioning, drivers (usually) behave. Break a light, and everything comes to a standstill. Within our bodies, we could liken that broken traffic light to a DNA mutation — one that has the potential to mess up our body's everyday operations.

By Elizabeth Sprouse & Desiree Bowie

We've been raised with the belief that death is inevitable, so we must consider the legacy of what we'll leave behind. But what if you had unlimited time to pursue your life's work? What if you didn't have to die?

By Molly Edmonds

You probably feel like you have very little in common with that banana lying on your kitchen counter. But science says you do! So, how is this possible? And is that stat accurate? We talk to the scientist who did the research.

By Alia Hoyt

It's one of those words that might remind you of certain gender-bending musicians from the '80s, but what does it mean today?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

At least two commercial DNA testing services offer users information on heritage coming from coupling between ancient humans and other species.

By Patrick J. Kiger

A groundbreaking study finds light skin pigmentation gene variations originating in Africa, eroding the notion of race as a biological characteristic, and shedding light on cancer and evolution, too.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Nearly every living cell is made of DNA, and every chromosome contains exactly one molecule of DNA. But not all cells are made of the same number of chromosomes.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Humans are a diverse lot — which is good! The question of ethnicity vs. race vs. nationality is a source of much debate, even among experts.

By John Donovan

Cell division can be confusing, but it's not as difficult if you pretend chromosomes are sentences.

By Jesslyn Shields & Austin Henderson