Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The branch of biology that deals with heredity, especially the mechanisms of hereditary transmission and the variation of inherited characteristics among similar or related organisms.
  • noun The genetic constitution of an individual, group, or class.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun That portion of evolutionary science which deals with natural development uncomplicated by human purpose or artificial process.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun biology, genetics The branch of biology that deals with the transmission and variation of inherited characteristics, in particular chromosomes and DNA.
  • noun biology, genetics The genetic makeup of a specific individual or species.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Ancient Greek γένεσις (genesis, "origin"). Ultimately from γίγνομαι (gignomai, "I come into being").

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