The Genetics of Reproduction

Abstract There is close interplay between genetics and the processes of fertilization and fetal development. Gene expression choreographs the early stages of reproduction, during which genetic variants are transmitted to the next generation. Fertilization and embryonic growth in turn raise hurdles that act to weed out adverse genetic mutations. Various levels of genetic organization and function are described here (chromosomes, genes and their variations, epigenetics, and mitochondrial DNA), together with genetic pathologies that affect reproduction. Other genetic processes relevant to reproduction include pleiotropy, heterozygote advantage, and alternative splicing. Epidemiologic analytic methods are expanding to make use of the wealth of genetic information being produced by modern laboratory assays.