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Although genetics might seem like a very modern science, the truth is that mankind has been practicing genetic modification for thousands of years. Ever since the ancients started picking out specific grain seeds to plant—thus domesticating wild wheat—humans have been trying to create bigger, stronger, and better plants and animals. Genes and Cloning traces the history of genetic modification, beginning with modern selective breeding during the 18th century and ending with the brave new world opened up by the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep. Although vocabulary-heavy (the program assumes a basic knowledge of cellular biology), the intrinsically complex ideas here are presented in a logical, articulate manner, backed by excellent computer graphics and animation sequences that aid the viewer in understanding concepts such as back crossing, recombinant DNA, and somatic cell nuclear transfer. The controversies surrounding cloning and genetically modified (GM) food are briefly mentioned but not discussed (the program appears to take the view that these foods are safe and beneficial). Still, as an overview of the history of genetic modification, this is recommended.
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