2005 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
Genes and Environments
A gene is a sequence of DNA, the self-replicating molecular strands which form the biological basis of life, that are contained in the 23 paired chromosomes each of us inherits from our parents. Genes are coded to produce the amino acids out of which proteins, and eventually cells, are produced. Interpreting the code therefore enables you to understand something of the biological characteristics of the organism in question.