Geneticist

OFO No:

What is genetics?

• Genetics is the biological study of heredity.

What is heredity?  

• Heredity is the passing of traits / characteristics from ‘parent’ to ‘child’. This happens in humans, animals and plants.

What is a Geneticist?

A Geneticist is a biological scientist that studies the path of these different traits and characteristics, in the genes, from one generation to another.

A career in Genetics involves the study of the genes:

• How do they work?
• How do mistakes in genes cause disease?
• How are they passed on from generation to generation
• How can genes be changed?
• How can genes be added to an animal or a plant?
• What job does each gene in a human have?

Geneticists can work various fields.

Here are a few examples:

Medicine

• find the genetic origin of diseases to help pharmaceutical companies

Law – (Forensic Genetics)

• determine for evidence to determine if the person is guilty or not

Agriculture

• to increase resistance to disease and crop failure

Archeology

• to study human remains and determine history

Genetic Engineering

• changing cell make up for various reasons – very controversial at present

What does a Geneticist do?

• works in a laboratory
• sterlises and sets up equipment
• testis and experiments
• analyses data and records it
• does lots of research
• attends conferences

Are you . . . ?

• scientifically orientated?
• clever?
• analytical?
• dedicated?
• persistent?
• inquisitive?
• reliable?

How do I become a Geneticist?

Most Geneticist do a Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) majoring in genetics. T

• University of Pretoria
  

• University of Stellenbosch
  

• University of the Witwatersrand
  

• University of KZN
  

• Forensic Genetics: THE DNA PROJECT

http://dnaproject.co.za/blog/a-career-in-forensics-in-south-africa

http://dnaproject.co.za/forensic-career

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER:  Toxicologist or Chemical Pathologist

Is becoming a Geneticist the right career choice for me?