In general, we all give and get comments such as ‘Oh you look just like your mother or you have your father’s eyes and even sometimes you have your grandmother’s hair. So how did we get these looks? It is simply the miraculous work of genetics. From generation to generation the genes are transferred. The colour of hair, the colour of your lens, your skin type all these are gifted to you by genes. The main player in the genesis is the particle called DNA. Even the genes are passed from the parents; the set of genes in each individual is unique. That is why there are slight differences between siblings in the same family.
Genes support us to continue our life. It controls from transporting oxygen to digesting the food we eat. Just like the genes pass the family traits it also passes generic diseases. And the discovery of genes has supported a lot in the medical field to cure many diseases.
How did it evolve?
So who found these genes and how did they evolve? The first-ever experiment took place in 1595 and Janssen was the person who invented the single-lens optical microscope. And then Robert Hooke came into the place and made a vast difference. He was the first scientist to investigate cells using a microscope. Then Nageli, who was a Swiss botanist, depicted the thread-like structure of a plant in the 18th century. And then in the same century, Charles Darwin published the book called “On the Origin of Species using natural selection”. In Nineteen eleven another important finding was made by Thomas Morgan. He found that that there is a relationship between genes and the way of phenotype located in chromosomes.
Then in 1911, using the genes of a fruit fly the first generic map was mapped. Then in 1962 Watson and Crick found DNA and they even won a Nobel Prize for discovering it. Since then many developments and findings were conducted based on genes and DNA. Today these technologies are used for many developments mainly in agricultural and medical industries.
What is Genetics?
Genetics is simply the study of the models of specific attributes that are connected with the genes which are passed from different generations. There are different areas of genetics. For instance, you can follow behavioral genetics, classical genetics, genetic engineering, molecular genetics and ecological genetics, and many more.
If you are keen on studying genetics as your degree, then you need to have fundamental knowledge in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics along with sound English knowledge. In general B.Sc. Genetics is a three years duration program and you get to learn areas such as, fundamentals of cell biology, principles in genetics, molecular genetics, basic human genetics, recombinant DNA technology and applied & behavioral genetics. The content can vary from university to university, but it’s pretty much the same.
You will get the opportunity to participate in practical sessions where you get the chance to test and observe different patterns and practice the theories that you learn. You will also get guidance on how to blend the technology with the scientific factors that can help to develop new concepts such as gene therapy.
As usual, written examinations and practical sessions will evaluate the knowledge of the student. Under this program also get the chance to conduct research and get the knowledge in how to research according to the proper standard
Career Opportunities
So what can you do with your Genetics degree? Just like the other degrees, you too have many avenues. You can end up in a job in the health sector, or the research sector, and even in the industrial sector. Not only in those areas but also you can use your knowledge in many more sectors as well.
Here are couples of job opportunities,
- Academic researcher
- Pharmacologist
- Genetic counselor
- Research scientist
- Plant breeder
- Clinical research associate
- Biotechnologist
- Medical sales representative
- Forensic scientist
- Science writer
- University lecturer
- Biomedical engineer
- Agriculture & Food scientist
And these are some bonus facts. Did you know the job growth rate of a genetic counselor is twenty-seven percent in the next ten years? And in general, a person who has this job can around USD 80,000 per annum. And if you choose the agriculture sector and become an agriculture & food scientist, you will have a job growth rate of seven percent in the next few years and can earn nearly USD 60,000 per annum.
According to the statistical data, these regions are the top famous regions for genetic testing service markets. First and foremost we have North America And the European region in the second place. Then the Asia Pacific region in the third place and South America and Middle East & Africa in the next places respectively. So if you need to look forward to conducting your researches, then you can consider these regions.
Postgraduate opportunities
Many universities offer many master’s programs. Some may even offer scholarships as well. But it is crucial to choose the university and the country especially by considering your future goals. As mentioned above, if you are keen on conducting researches, then choosing a university from the above regions will be highly beneficial.
The programs,
- Queen’s University, Belfast – M.Sc. Bioinformatics & Computational Genomics
- Stockholm University – M.Sc. in Genetics & Molecular Plants Science
- University of Edinburgh – M.Sc. in Quantitative genetics & Genome Analysis
- University of Arizona – M.Sc. in Genetics
- Michigan State University – Master of Genetics
- The University of Alberta – Master in Cell Biology
- University of Georgia – Master in Plant Breeding, Genetics & genomics
- McGill University, Canada – Master in Anatomy & Cell Biology
- University of Chester – M.Sc. in Medical Genetics
- University of Connecticut – M.Sc. in Health Care Genetics
Genetics is where we come from and it’s deeply natural to want to know. It is simply about how storing and sharing information between different generations. It is all about showcasing human beauty along with high-quality performance.
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