Cover: Genetics Essentials, 5th Edition by Benjamin A. Pierce

Genetics Essentials

Fifth Edition  ©2025 Benjamin A. Pierce Formats: Achieve, E-book, Print

Authors

  • Headshot of Benjamin A. Pierce

    Benjamin A. Pierce

    Benjamin Pierce is Professor of Biology and holder of the Lillian Nelson Pratt Chair at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he teaches courses in genetics and evolution. He previously taught at Connecticut College and Baylor University. Ben is a population geneticist who conducts ecological and evolutionary research on amphibians. He has authored a number of articles in research journals and several books, including The Family Genetics Sourcebook, Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, Genetics Essentials: Concepts and Connections, and Transmission and Population Genetics: A Short Course. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi and is a fellow of the Texas Academy of Science. He has received grants from the Natural Science Foundation, the W. M. Keck Foundation, the 3M Foundation, the National Park Service, the Williamson County Conservation Foundation, and the National Geographic Society.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction to Genetics
  2. Chromosomes and Cellular Reproduction
  3. Basic Principles of Heredity
  4. Extensions and Modifications of Basic Principles
  5. Linkage, Recombination, and Eukaryotic Gene Mapping
  6. Chromosome Variation
  7. Bacterial and Viral Genetic Systems
  8. DNA: The Chemical Nature of the Gene
  9. DNA Replication and Recombination
  10. From DNA to Proteins: Transcription and RNA Processing
  11. From DNA to Proteins: Translation
  12. Control of Gene Expression
  13. Gene Mutations, Transposable Elements, and DNA Repair
  14. Molecular Genetic Analysis and Biotechnology
  15. Genomics and Proteomics
  16. Cancer Genetics
  17. Quantitative Genetics
  18. Population and Evolutionary Genetics

Product Updates

For this Digital Update of the Fifth Edition, we have updated the content to reflect new advances in genetics that have emerged since the fifth edition was published. For example, we have updated the section on pedigrees to include new symbols to represent transgender and nonbinary people. Three chapters have new introductory stories, a popular feature of the book that helps draw students into the chapter. Throughout the book, we have updated and revised the content to make the book more inclusive for all students.


New and updated content includes:

  • Three new chapter-opening stories, including “Rebecca Saunders and the Discovery of Gene Interaction” (Chapter 4), “Bacterial Light” (Chapter 12), “Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome, the Secret of Aging, and CRISPR-Cas” (Chapter 14).
  • 21 new end-of-chapter problems
  • Newer, more up-to-date examples of cutting-edge research (Chapter 1)
  • New section on the role of DNA in inheritance that ties genetic information to the four bases (Chapter 3)
  • New brief section on the complexity of genetic traits (Chapter 3)
  • The discussion of biological sex vs gender has been expanded to include the concepts intersex, cis gender, trans gender, and gender fluid. (Chapter 4)
  • New data on the frequency of structural variants and information on their importance (Chapter 6)
  • The central dogma is now highlighted in a brief new section (Chapter 8)
  • The Holliday model is deemphasized; the text notes that recombination is mostly initiated by double-strand breaks initiated by Spo11 (Chapter 9
  • Additional information on RNA splicing: splicing occurs cotranscriptionally (Chapter 10)
  • New terminology: The roles of writers, readers, and erasers (Chapter 12)
  • Insulators act through their influence on TADs (Chapter 12)
  • Under a new C head is briefly introduced an additional, 4th mechanism of gene regulation by miRNAs: triggering the decay of mRNAs (Chapter 12)
  • A brief new paragraph on the use of epigenetic editing to bring about epigenetic changes that alter gene expression (Chapter 12)
  • New CRISPR technique: prime editing (Chapter 14)
  • RNA therapy and mRNA vaccines very briefly introduced (Chapter 14)
  • A description of the two types of gene therapy, in vivo and ex vivo. (Chapter 14)
  • Update: completion in 2022 of the most complete version of the human genome to date. (Chapter 15)
  • Genome studies of non-Europeans; examples are indigenous people of the Americas and people of African ancestry (Chapter 15)
  • The use of metagenomics to identify a disease pathogen in a patient (Chapter 15)

Authors

  • Headshot of Benjamin A. Pierce

    Benjamin A. Pierce

    Benjamin Pierce is Professor of Biology and holder of the Lillian Nelson Pratt Chair at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he teaches courses in genetics and evolution. He previously taught at Connecticut College and Baylor University. Ben is a population geneticist who conducts ecological and evolutionary research on amphibians. He has authored a number of articles in research journals and several books, including The Family Genetics Sourcebook, Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, Genetics Essentials: Concepts and Connections, and Transmission and Population Genetics: A Short Course. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi and is a fellow of the Texas Academy of Science. He has received grants from the Natural Science Foundation, the W. M. Keck Foundation, the 3M Foundation, the National Park Service, the Williamson County Conservation Foundation, and the National Geographic Society.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction to Genetics
  2. Chromosomes and Cellular Reproduction
  3. Basic Principles of Heredity
  4. Extensions and Modifications of Basic Principles
  5. Linkage, Recombination, and Eukaryotic Gene Mapping
  6. Chromosome Variation
  7. Bacterial and Viral Genetic Systems
  8. DNA: The Chemical Nature of the Gene
  9. DNA Replication and Recombination
  10. From DNA to Proteins: Transcription and RNA Processing
  11. From DNA to Proteins: Translation
  12. Control of Gene Expression
  13. Gene Mutations, Transposable Elements, and DNA Repair
  14. Molecular Genetic Analysis and Biotechnology
  15. Genomics and Proteomics
  16. Cancer Genetics
  17. Quantitative Genetics
  18. Population and Evolutionary Genetics

Product Updates

For this Digital Update of the Fifth Edition, we have updated the content to reflect new advances in genetics that have emerged since the fifth edition was published. For example, we have updated the section on pedigrees to include new symbols to represent transgender and nonbinary people. Three chapters have new introductory stories, a popular feature of the book that helps draw students into the chapter. Throughout the book, we have updated and revised the content to make the book more inclusive for all students.


New and updated content includes:

  • Three new chapter-opening stories, including “Rebecca Saunders and the Discovery of Gene Interaction” (Chapter 4), “Bacterial Light” (Chapter 12), “Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome, the Secret of Aging, and CRISPR-Cas” (Chapter 14).
  • 21 new end-of-chapter problems
  • Newer, more up-to-date examples of cutting-edge research (Chapter 1)
  • New section on the role of DNA in inheritance that ties genetic information to the four bases (Chapter 3)
  • New brief section on the complexity of genetic traits (Chapter 3)
  • The discussion of biological sex vs gender has been expanded to include the concepts intersex, cis gender, trans gender, and gender fluid. (Chapter 4)
  • New data on the frequency of structural variants and information on their importance (Chapter 6)
  • The central dogma is now highlighted in a brief new section (Chapter 8)
  • The Holliday model is deemphasized; the text notes that recombination is mostly initiated by double-strand breaks initiated by Spo11 (Chapter 9
  • Additional information on RNA splicing: splicing occurs cotranscriptionally (Chapter 10)
  • New terminology: The roles of writers, readers, and erasers (Chapter 12)
  • Insulators act through their influence on TADs (Chapter 12)
  • Under a new C head is briefly introduced an additional, 4th mechanism of gene regulation by miRNAs: triggering the decay of mRNAs (Chapter 12)
  • A brief new paragraph on the use of epigenetic editing to bring about epigenetic changes that alter gene expression (Chapter 12)
  • New CRISPR technique: prime editing (Chapter 14)
  • RNA therapy and mRNA vaccines very briefly introduced (Chapter 14)
  • A description of the two types of gene therapy, in vivo and ex vivo. (Chapter 14)
  • Update: completion in 2022 of the most complete version of the human genome to date. (Chapter 15)
  • Genome studies of non-Europeans; examples are indigenous people of the Americas and people of African ancestry (Chapter 15)
  • The use of metagenomics to identify a disease pathogen in a patient (Chapter 15)

Genetics Essentials provides a student friendly and concise approach to teaching genetics. The approachable writing style and strong pedagogical support are highlights of the text. The new 5th edition is fully supported in Achieve, providing a powerful online learning experience.

  • Conceptual Framework
    • Student-friendly writing style
    • Chapter opening stories to capture student interest
    • Concepts, Concepts Checks, Connecting Concepts, Chapter Summary
    • Learning Outcomes (new)
  • Art and Media
    • The art program has been revised to be more modern looking and more understandable for students.
    • Animations (with assessment questions) are based on figures in the text and are included in Achieve. 
    • Model Genetic Organism infographics are scattered throughout the book to familiarize students with the kinds of organisms used  in genetic research
Assessment features in Achieve include:
  • Assessment questions with hints, feedback, and solutions provide a powerful pedagogical framework to teach students problem solving skills through formative assessments
  • Adaptive Quizzes and Reading Quizzes can be assigned before class to encourage reading and pre-class preparation.
  • In-class activities that include slides and worksheets to help you easily implement more active learning in your classroom
  • Concept Mapping Problems allow students to learn through this effective method while still being automatically graded
  • Problem Solving Videos provide a step-by-step methodology for working through tough problems
  • Math readiness assignments allow for remediation of weak math skills that could hold students back in genetics

Success Stories

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See how the resources in Achieve help you engage students before, during, and after class.

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Here’s why educators who use Achieve would recommend it to their peers.

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Benjamin A. Pierce | Fifth Edition | ©2025 | ISBN:9781319524784

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