spontaneous generation, the hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from nonliving matter; also, the archaic theory that utilized this process to explain the origin of life. According to that theory, pieces of cheese and bread wrapped in rags and left in a dark corner, for example,

Jakob Frohschammer: …of their expressed views on generationism, a condemned theory stating that the human soul is created from unliving matter in the act of procreation. Though Frohschammer’s generationist views were moderate, he was early suspected by the church.

Australian literature: Literature from 1940 to 1970: Judith Wright’s The Generations of Men (1959) is a family history, just as Mary Durack’s Kings in Grass Castles (1959) is the story of her ancestors as well as a social history. Martin Boyd’s Day of My Delight (1965) defines his family in its historical and moral…

Vasily Aksyonov: Pokolenie zimy (1994; Generations of Winter) chronicles the fate of a family of intellectuals at the hands of the Soviet regime during the period of Joseph Stalin’s rule.

alternation of generations, in biology, the alternation of a sexual phase and an asexual phase in the life cycle of an organism. The two phases, or generations, are often morphologically, and sometimes chromosomally, distinct. In algae, fungi, and plants, alternation of generations is common. It is

Lucille Clifton: Generations: A Memoir (1976) is a prose piece celebrating her origins, and Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir, 1969–1980 (1987) collects some of her previously published verse. The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton: 1965–2010 (2012) aggregated much of her oeuvre, including a substantial number of…

What is news literacy (and why does it matter)?: Developing habits to detect misinformation: Generative AI tools have made it easier than ever to create and spread false information. As powerful and impressive as these tools are, they also have significant limitations and pitfalls. AI chatbots have a tendency to make up false information and use copyrighted material without…

Budgeting with artificial intelligence.When you think about artificial intelligence, or AI, what immediately comes to mind? For many, the answer is ChatGPT. The promise of generative AI—embodied by applications like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Alphabet’s (GOOG) Gemini—is captivating for many Internet

Latin American art: Trends, c. 1950–c. 1970: …Argentina, a founding member of Generative Art in 1959 in Buenos Aires (with Miguel Angel Vidal and later Ary Brizzi), created paintings that gave the illusion of volume with intersecting geometric lines. MacEntyre’s acrylics on canvas recall early 20th-century Constructivist sculpture of Plexiglas, but their lack of tangible scale makes…

What is news literacy (and why does it matter)?: Developing habits to detect misinformation: Generative AI tools have made it easier than ever to create and spread false information. As powerful and impressive as these tools are, they also have significant limitations and pitfalls. AI chatbots have a tendency to make up false information and use copyrighted material without…

generative grammar, a precisely formulated set of rules whose output is all (and only) the sentences of a language—i.e., of the language that it generates. There are many different kinds of generative grammar, including transformational grammar as developed by Noam Chomsky from the mid-1950s.

plant reproductive system: Angiosperms: …involves formation of a small generative cell and a tube cell. The generative cell may divide to form two sperm cells before the pollen grain (developing male gametophyte) is shed or while the pollen tube is growing during germination. The pollen grains of angiosperms have variously, and often elaborately, ornamented…

linguistics: Modifications in Chomsky’s grammar: One school of linguists, called generative semanticists, accepted the general principles of transformational grammar but challenged Chomsky’s conception of deep structure as a separate and identifiable level of syntactic representation. In their opinion, the basic component of the grammar should consist of a set of rules for the generation of…

machine: …other machines, such as electric generators, hydraulic pumps, or air compressors. All three of the latter devices may be classified as generators; their outputs of electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic energy can be used as inputs to electric, hydraulic, or air motors. These motors can be used to drive machines with…

electric generator: Generator rating: The capacity of a synchronous generator is equal to the product of the voltage per phase, the current per phase, and the number of phases. It is normally stated in megavolt-amperes (MVA) for large generators or kilovolt-amperes (kVA) for small generators. Both the…

electric generator, any machine that converts mechanical energy to electricity for transmission and distribution over power lines to domestic, commercial, and industrial customers. Generators also produce the electrical power required for automobiles, aircraft, ships, and trains. The mechanical

cone: The generatrix of a cone is assumed to be infinite in length, extending in both directions from the vertex. The cone so generated, therefore, has two parts, called nappes or sheets, that extend infinitely. A finite cone has a finite, but not necessarily fixed, base, the…

Ernst Haeckel: Haeckel’s views on evolution: His Generelle Morphologie der Organismen (1866; “General Morphology of Organisms”) presented many of his evolutionary ideas, but the scientific community was little interested. He set forth his ideas in popular writings, all of which were widely read though they were deplored by many of Haeckel’s scientific…

generic drug, therapeutic substance that is equivalent to a brand-name drug with respect to its intended use, its effects on the body, and its fate within the body. Every drug has a generic name; most, however, are marketed under a brand name almost exclusively until their patents expire. At that

toponymy: A generic name refers to a class of names such as river, mountain, or town. A specific name serves to restrict or modify the meaning of the place-name. Most of the world’s languages can be divided into two groups based on the general tendency to have…

género chico, (Spanish: “little genre”), Spanish literary genre of light dramatic or operatic one-act playlets, as contrasted with the género grande of serious drama or opera. Developed primarily in the theatres of Madrid during the later 19th century, género chico works usually dealt with Madrid’s

Pour le Mérite: This order superseded the Ordre de la Générosité (French: “Order of Generosity”) that was founded by Frederick I of Prussia in 1667.

charity, in Christian thought, the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love between God and man that is made manifest in unselfish love of one’s fellow men. St. Paul’s classical description of charity is found in the New Testament (I Cor. 13). In Christian theology and ethics, charity

Reynolds Price: … (1963), and in the novel A Generous Man (1966) her brother Milo experiences his sexual awakening while searching the backwoods for an intellectually disabled brother, a dog, and an escaped python. The third volume in the trilogy, Good Hearts (1988), resumes the story of Rosacoke in her middle age. Price’s…

gene, unit of hereditary information that occupies a fixed position (locus) on a chromosome. Genes achieve their effects by directing the synthesis of proteins. In eukaryotes (such as animals, plants, and fungi), genes are contained within the cell nucleus. The mitochondria (in animals) and the

Genesee, county, northwestern New York state, U.S., located in a lowland region with several swamps, midway between Buffalo and Rochester. It is drained by Tonawanda, Oak Orchard, and Oatka creeks. The major forest types are oak and hickory. Public lands include Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

Syracuse University, private, coeducational institution of higher education, located in Syracuse, New York, U.S. It offers more than 400 undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs through 13 colleges and schools. Research facilities include the Aging Studies Institute, the Center for

Genesee River, river mainly in New York state, U.S. The Genesee flows generally north from its headwaters in Pennsylvania, crosses the New York State Canal System, and bisects Rochester to enter Lake Ontario after a course of 158 miles (254 km). At Portageville, midway along its course, the river

Eduardo Kac: …infeasible, in 1999 Kac debuted Genesis, a work that represented his first foray into actual bio art. He translated a passage from the Christian Bible into Morse Code and then into the four-letter code that represented the base pairs of DNA. He commissioned the creation of synthetic DNA using that…

Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Its name derives from the opening words: “In the beginning….” Genesis narrates the primeval history of the world (chapters 1–11) and the patriarchal history of the Israelite people (chapters 12–50). The primeval history includes the familiar stories of the

Poul Anderson: …a Million Years (1989), and Genesis (2000), which received the John W. Campbell Award in 2001.

Genesis, British progressive rock group noted for its atmospheric sound in the 1970s and extremely popular albums and singles of the 1980s and ’90s. The principal members were Peter Gabriel (b. February 13, 1950, Woking, Surrey, England), Tony Banks (b. March 27, 1950, East Hoathly, East Sussex),

Sega Corporation: …Master System (1986) and the Sega Genesis (1988)—beginning a serious competition with its main rival, the Nintendo console, for control of the video game market.

Genesis, U.S. spacecraft that returned particles of the solar wind to Earth in 2004. Genesis was launched on Aug. 8, 2001. The spacecraft spent 884 days orbiting the first Lagrangian point, 1.5 million km (930,000 miles) from Earth, and capturing 10–20 micrograms of solar wind particles on

Caedmon manuscript: It contains the poems Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, and Christ and Satan, originally attributed to Caedmon (q.v.) because these subjects correspond roughly to the subjects described in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History as having been rendered by Caedmon into vernacular verse. The whole, called Caedmon’s Paraphrase, was first published in 1655. Later…

Genesis Apocryphon, pseudepigraphal work (not accepted in any canon of scripture), one of the most important works of the Essene community of Jews, part of whose library was discovered in 1947 in caves at Qumrān, near the Dead Sea, in Palestine. The scroll, the last of seven scrolls discovered in

Harry Partch: …esoteric theories in a book, The Genesis of a Music. In 1953 he began issuing his own recordings, and in 1966 he won an award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters.

Thomas Mann: Later novels of Thomas Mann: …by Mann in 1949 in The Genesis of a Novel. Doktor Faustus exhausted him as no other work of his had done, and The Holy Sinner and The Black Swan, published in 1951 and 1953, respectively, show a relaxation of intensity in spite of their accomplished, even virtuoso style. Mann…

Genesis Rabbah, systematic exegesis of the book of Genesis produced by the Judaic sages about 450 ce, which sets forth a coherent and original account of that book. In Genesis Rabbah the entire narrative is formed so as to point toward the sacred history of Israel, meaning the Jewish people—their

Book of Jubilees, pseudepigraphal work (not included in any canon of scripture), most notable for its chronological schema, by which events described in Genesis on through Exodus 12 are dated by jubilees of 49 years, each of which is composed of seven cycles of seven years. The institution of a

Joseph Genesius was a Byzantine scholar whose history of Constantinople is one of the few known sources on the relatively obscure 9th-century period of Byzantine history. The details of Genesius’ life are unknown. He apparently composed his history between 945 and 959 at the order of Emperor

Edmond-Charles Genêt was a French emissary to the United States during the French Revolution who severely strained Franco-American relations by conspiring to involve the United States in France’s war against Great Britain. In 1781 Edmond succeeded his father, Edmé-Jacques Genêt, as head of the

Chauvet–Pont d’Arc: Discovery of the site: …then (from 2002 onward) of Jean-Michel Geneste (then director of the National Centre for Prehistory at Périgueux, Dordogne). It was the first time worldwide that such a complete scientific team was assembled to study a major rock art site.

Janet Flanner was an American writer who was the Paris correspondent for The New Yorker magazine for nearly half a century. Flanner was the child of Quakers. She attended the University of Chicago in 1912–14 and then returned to Indianapolis and took a job with the Indianapolis Star, becoming the

genet, any of about 14 species of lithe catlike omnivorous mammals of the genus Genetta, family Viverridae (order Carnivora). Genets are elongate short-legged animals with long tapering tails, pointed noses, large rounded ears, and retractile claws. Coloration varies among species but usually is

Atlas Mountains: Transportation: …is Tizi Ouzou, at the Genêt Pass, which has become in effect the capital of the massif. To surmount the obstacle formed by the Ouarsenis Massif, situated between Chelif Plain and the Sersou Plateau, it is necessary to pass by way of Theniet al-Haad. The passes of the Moroccan High…

Edmond-Charles Genêt was a French emissary to the United States during the French Revolution who severely strained Franco-American relations by conspiring to involve the United States in France’s war against Great Britain. In 1781 Edmond succeeded his father, Edmé-Jacques Genêt, as head of the

Jean Genet was a French criminal and social outcast turned writer who, as a novelist, transformed erotic and often obscene subject matter into a poetic vision of the universe and, as a dramatist, became a leading figure in the avant-garde theatre, especially the Theatre of the Absurd. Genet, an

astrology: Purposes of astrology: From this science, called genethlialogy (casting nativities), were developed the fundamental techniques of astrology. The main subdivisions of astrology that developed after genethlialogy are general, catarchic, and interrogatory.

genetic algorithm, in artificial intelligence, a type of evolutionary computer algorithm in which symbols (often called “genes” or “chromosomes”) representing possible solutions are “bred.” This “breeding” of symbols typically includes the use of a mechanism analogous to the crossing-over process

evolution: Genetic differentiation during speciation: Genetic changes underlie all evolutionary processes. In order to understand speciation and its role in evolution, it is useful to know how much genetic change takes place during the course of species development. It is of considerable significance to ascertain whether new species arise by…

genetic code, the sequence of nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) that determines the amino acid sequence of proteins. Though the linear sequence of nucleotides in DNA contains the information for protein sequences, proteins are not made directly from DNA. Instead,

George Wells Beadle: …outlined in the landmark paper “Genetic Control of Biochemical Reactions in Neurospora” (1941), by Beadle and Tatum, opened up a new field of research with far-reaching implications. Their methods immediately revolutionized the manufacture of penicillin and provided insights into many biochemical processes.

animal breeding: Heritability and genetic correlations in breeding: Genetic correlation occurs when a single gene affects two traits. There may be many such genes that affect two or more traits. Genetic correlations can be positive or negative, which is indicated by assigning a number in the range from +1 to − 1, with…

genetic counseling, in medicine, process of communication in which a specially trained professional meets with an individual, couple, or family who is affected by a genetic disorder or who is at risk of passing on an inherited disorder. Some of the first genetic counseling clinics were established

metastasis: Genetic defects and metastasis: …is unlikely that a single genetic defect brings it about. It seems more reasonable to predict that a number of aberrant genes contribute to metastasis. The complexity of aberrant gene interactions associated with metastasis has been demonstrated by multiple studies. For example, in a study of breast cancer patients whose…

human genetic disease, any of the diseases and disorders that are caused by mutations in one or more genes. With the increasing ability to control infectious and nutritional diseases in developed countries, there has come the realization that genetic diseases are a major cause of disability, death,

metastasis: Genetic defects and metastasis: …is unlikely that a single genetic defect brings it about. It seems more reasonable to predict that a number of aberrant genes contribute to metastasis. The complexity of aberrant gene interactions associated with metastasis has been demonstrated by multiple studies. For example, in a study of breast cancer patients whose…

evolution: Genetic differentiation during speciation: …identical in two populations, and genetic distance (D), which estimates the proportion of gene changes that have occurred in the separate evolution of two populations. The value of I may range between 0 and 1, which correspond to the extreme situations in which no or all genes are identical, respectively;…

genetic drift, a change in the gene pool of a small population that takes place strictly by chance. Genetic drift can result in genetic traits being lost from a population or becoming widespread in a population without respect to the survival or reproductive value of the alleles involved. A random

preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), the testing of embryos produced through in vitro fertilization (IVF) for genetic defects, in which testing is carried out prior to the implantation of the fertilized egg within the uterus. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) also may be performed on eggs

genetic engineering, the artificial manipulation, modification, and recombination of DNA or other nucleic acid molecules in order to modify an organism or population of organisms. The term genetic engineering is generally used to refer to methods of recombinant DNA technology, which emerged from

genetic epidemiology, the study of how genes and environmental factors influence human traits and human health and disease. Genetic epidemiology developed initially from population genetics, specifically human quantitative genetics, with conceptual and methodological contributions from

Jean Piaget: He argued for a “genetic epistemology,” a timetable established by nature for the development of the child’s ability to think, and he traced four stages in that development. He described the child during the first two years of life as being in a sensorimotor stage, chiefly concerned with mastering…

evolution: Genetic equilibrium: the Hardy-Weinberg law: Genetic variation is present throughout natural populations of organisms. This variation is sorted out in new ways in each generation by the process of sexual reproduction, which recombines the chromosomes inherited from the two parents during the formation of the…

mitochondrion: Research on human evolution: …can be traced to a single woman ancestor living an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 years ago. Scientists suspect that this woman lived among other women but that the process of genetic drift (chance fluctuations in gene frequency that affect the genetic constitution of small populations) caused her mtDNA to randomly…

cell: Genetic expression through RNA: The process of genetic expression takes place over several stages, and at each stage is the potential for further differentiation of cell types.

DNA fingerprinting, in genetics, method of isolating and identifying variable elements within the base-pair sequence of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). The technique was developed in 1984 by British geneticist Alec Jeffreys, after he noticed that certain sequences of highly variable DNA (known as

human genetic disease: Autosomal dominant inheritance: …the same clinical disorder (genetic heterogeneity). Achondroplasia is characterized by allelic homogeneity, such that essentially all affected individuals carry exactly the same mutation.

evolution: Stabilizing selection: …attribute of populations is called genetic homeostasis.

evolution: Genetic differentiation during speciation: …is measured with two parameters—genetic identity (I), which estimates the proportion of genes that are identical in two populations, and genetic distance (D), which estimates the proportion of gene changes that have occurred in the separate evolution of two populations. The value of I may range between 0 and…

industry: Primary industry: …be divided into two categories: genetic industry, including the production of raw materials that may be increased by human intervention in the production process; and extractive industry, including the production of exhaustible raw materials that cannot be augmented through cultivation.

conservation: Genetic intervention: In small populations, inbreeding can cause genetic variability to be lost quite quickly. A simple example is provided by the Y chromosome in humans (and other mammals), which confers maleness and which behaves like human surnames do in large parts of the world.…

consanguinity: Inbreeding and pedigree construction: Such groups are called isolates. Thus, the Samaritans, who have remained a small but distinctive group since the 8th century bc, are considerably inbred, and in the United States some religious groups also live in agricultural colonies as isolates (for instance, the Amish and the Hutterites). Besides these numerically…

James Mark Baldwin: During this period he completed Genetic Logic, 3 vol. (1906–11), which examined the nature and development of thought and meaning. Settling in Paris (1913), he lectured at various provincial universities and in 1919 became professor at the École des Hautes Études Sociales in Paris.

Calvin Blackman Bridges: …to observable changes in its chromosomes. These experiments led to the construction of “gene maps” and proved the chromosome theory of heredity. Bridges, with Morgan and Alfred Henry Sturtevant, published these results in 1925. That same year he published “Sex in Relation to Chromosomes and Genes,” demonstrating that sex in…

genetic marker, any alteration in a sequence of nucleic acids or other genetic trait that can be readily detected and used to identify individuals, populations, or species or to identify genes involved in inherited disease. Genetic markers consist primarily of polymorphisms, which are discontinuous

climate classification: Genetic classifications: Genetic classifications group climates by their causes. Among such methods, three types may be distinguished: (1) those based on the geographic determinants of climate, (2) those based on the surface energy budget, and (3) those derived from air mass analysis.

gene therapy, introduction of a normal gene into an individual’s genome in order to repair a mutation that causes a genetic disease. When a normal gene is inserted into the nucleus of a mutant cell, the gene most likely will integrate into a chromosomal site different from the defective allele;

mutation, an alteration in the genetic material (the genome) of a cell of a living organism or of a virus that is more or less permanent and that can be transmitted to the cell’s or the virus’s descendants. (The genomes of organisms are all composed of DNA, whereas viral genomes can be of DNA or

polymorphism, in biology, a discontinuous genetic variation resulting in the occurrence of several different forms or types of individuals among the members of a single species. A discontinuous genetic variation divides the individuals of a population into two or more sharply distinct forms. The

genetic algorithm: …the selection is known as genetic programming. In addition to general software, genetic algorithms are sometimes used in research with artificial life, cellular automatons, and neural networks.

antigenic shift: …of genetic exchange known as genetic reassortment. Reassortment can result in antigenic shift when an intermediate host, such as a pig, is simultaneously infected with a human and an avian influenza A virus. The new version of the virus that is produced represents a new influenza A subtype and thus…

gene: Gene regulation: …small protein molecule called a repressor. The repressor binds to the operator gene and prevents it from initiating the synthesis of the protein called for by the operon. The presence or absence of certain repressor molecules determines whether the operon is off or on. As mentioned, this model applies to…

genetic drift, a change in the gene pool of a small population that takes place strictly by chance. Genetic drift can result in genetic traits being lost from a population or becoming widespread in a population without respect to the survival or reproductive value of the alleles involved. A random

Lewis Terman: , Genetic Studies of Genius, 5 vol. (1926–59). Terman’s successors continued to publish books on the longitudinal study that Terman began in the first half of the 20th century. Terman’s other investigations were reported in Sex and Personality (1936) and Psychological Factors in Marital Happiness (1938).

genetic testing, any of a group of procedures used to identify gene variations associated with health, disease, and ancestry and to diagnose inherited diseases and disorders. A genetic test is typically issued only after a medical history, a physical examination, and the construction of a family

transduction, a process of genetic recombination in bacteria in which genes from a host cell (a bacterium) are incorporated into the genome of a bacterial virus (bacteriophage) and then carried to another host cell when the bacteriophage initiates another cycle of infection. In general

William Donald Hamilton: …College, London, and published “The Genetical Evolution of Social Behaviour,” a paper that laid the foundation for population genetics studies of social behaviour. The key concept presented in this work was inclusive fitness, a theory in which an organism’s genetic success is believed to be derived from cooperation and…

agricultural sciences: Emerging agricultural sciences: Genetically modified (GM) foods were first approved for human consumption in the United States in 1994, and by 2014–15 about 90 percent of the corn, cotton, and soybeans planted in the United States was GM. The genetic engineering of crops can dramatically increase per-area crop…

genetically modified organism (GMO), organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the generation of desired biological products. In conventional livestock production, crop farming, and even pet breeding, it has long

agricultural sciences: Emerging agricultural sciences: Genetically modified (GM) foods were first approved for human consumption in the United States in 1994, and by 2014–15 about 90 percent of the corn, cotton, and soybeans planted in the United States was GM. The genetic engineering of crops can dramatically increase per-area crop…

agricultural sciences: Emerging agricultural sciences: Genetically modified (GM) foods were first approved for human consumption in the United States in 1994, and by 2014–15 about 90 percent of the corn, cotton, and soybeans planted in the United States was GM. The genetic engineering of crops can dramatically increase per-area crop…

genetically modified organism (GMO), organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the generation of desired biological products. In conventional livestock production, crop farming, and even pet breeding, it has long

genetically modified organism (GMO), organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the generation of desired biological products. In conventional livestock production, crop farming, and even pet breeding, it has long

George Harrison Shull: He founded the journal Genetics in 1916, acting as managing editor for nine years and for many years more as an associate editor. He was honoured in 1940 with the De Kalb Agricultural Association Medal and in 1949 with the Marcellus Hartley Medal of the National Academy of Sciences.

genetics, study of heredity in general and of genes in particular. Genetics forms one of the central pillars of biology and overlaps with many other areas, such as agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology. Since the dawn of civilization, humankind has recognized the influence of heredity and

Theodosius Dobzhansky: His book Genetics and the Origin of Species (1937) was the first substantial synthesis of the subjects and established evolutionary genetics as an independent discipline. Until the 1930s, the commonly held view was that natural selection produced something close to the best of all possible worlds and…

Bert Vogelstein: …in professional journals, Vogelstein cowrote The Genetics of Cancer (1997) with American oncologist Kenneth Kinzler, one of his former research assistants and later a full professor at Johns Hopkins. Vogelstein was awarded the 1997 William Beaumont Prize for his work on the genetics of cancer.

human genetics, study of the inheritance of characteristics by children from parents. Inheritance in humans does not differ in any fundamental way from that in other organisms. The study of human heredity occupies a central position in genetics. Much of this interest stems from a basic desire to