Genetics is the study of heredity and how we pass on characteristics from a parent to a child, biologically. A geneticist is someone who practices in this field.
As applied to Genealogy here though, it is the study of all the strands of DNA that are carried down the generations and how they can be used to help uncover the ancestry or pedigree of the person tested.
Below is the further glossary of terms that fall under genetics but as used in the Genetic Genealogy field. Some terms are directly as defined in general genetics. Others co-opted or re-invented for genetic genealogy. We have not worked to cleanly separate these out as of yet but do work to identify, especially where terms are co-opted with a different meaning, the source of the meanings that exist in the genetic genealogy field.
Glossary of Genetic Terms:
As applied to Genealogy here though, it is the study of all the strands of DNA that are carried down the generations and how they can be used to help uncover the ancestry or pedigree of the person tested.
Below is the further glossary of terms that fall under genetics but as used in the Genetic Genealogy field. Some terms are directly as defined in general genetics. Others co-opted or re-invented for genetic genealogy. We have not worked to cleanly separate these out as of yet but do work to identify, especially where terms are co-opted with a different meaning, the source of the meanings that exist in the genetic genealogy field.
Glossary of Genetic Terms:
For Further Reading
- NIH genetics glossary
- Human Genome page on Wikipedia