Genetics is the study of the genes in our DNA, and how they can vary. It also includes hereditary genes, genes we've inherited from our family. It is considered a subsection of biology, though often times it will interact with various other life sciences. Genetics is also known to have strong ties to information systems because of the massive amount of data in DNA. It is an incredibly rich topic with a lot of information within.

While trait inheritance mechanisms in organisms are fundamentals of genetics in the 21^st century, it has expanded to studying the deep functions and behaviors of genes. This is mostly done through figuring out the various functions, differences, and distribution of genes within a cell, organism and populations of the two.

Gregor Mendel is largely considered to be the father of genetics. He was a 19^th century Augustinian friar who also claimed to be a scientist. He studied the inheritance of traits, or traits that have been passed down from mother and father to child. One of the observations he made was that pea plants gained traits from its own mother and father. The term he would use to describe this was gene.

Molecular genetics would not be furthered until the 20^th century with Frederick Griffith. Scientists at the time already knew that DNA was on chromosomes, however they did not understand that chromosomes were both DNA and protein. In 1928, Griffith would discover transformation. In his experiment (Griffith's experiment), he observed dead bacteria transferring genetic material to alive bacteria, giving them new genes and resistances to their DNA. This would be the start of genetics on a molecular scale.

There have been a few subfields that have risen from genetics, including epigenetics, which is a study of traits that are inheritable but did not exist before it due to changes in the DNA. Another subfield that has risen is population genetics. This focuses mostly on differences in a population as well between populations.

The way genetic processes work is through an organism's environment and encounters which create a need to adapt. This is referred to in the scientific community as nature versus nurture. Inside the cell (intracellular) and outside the cell (extracellular) environments can change how a gene operates, and can completely shut off or turn on certain genes.

One example of this is two corn seeds that are genetically identical are put into two contrasting environments. One has plenty of resources, the other has minimal, and the result is a shorter stalk in the less nutrient rich environment. Though they have the same genes, they are vastly different.

Genetics has changed how we see the world. There have been many advances in understanding our DNA, and genetics only gets deeper with each day. With rising interest in the field, one day scientists may be able to do wonderful things with our DNA, such as prevent diseases or even stop cancer altogether. It's a truly deep topic that requires a lot of knowledge to comprehend.

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