

PREFACE 



Because genetics is a young science, its workers 

 still often have to coin their own technical terms. 

 This dictionary is an attempt to define and stand- 

 ardise these terms. The first edition will doubt- 

 less contain errors and I would be grateful to 

 readers for suggestions as to additions or correc- 

 tions. 



The dictionary is not limited solely to modern 

 terms because students still read, and need to 

 understand, the older books. Also, it is hoped 

 that the inclusion of both older and modern 

 terms will help the coiners of new words to 

 avoid putting an entirely new meaning on an old 

 established word. Moreover, the provision of a 

 full glossary of genetic and allied terms may have 

 the altogether desirable effect of preventing 

 authors from continuing the present trend to- 

 wards complication of vocabulary. Genetic 

 literature would be more readily understood if 

 writers had, where possible, used an existing 

 term instead of coining a new one. This would 

 have avoided the use for one and the same thing 

 of centromere, kinetochore, kinomere, kinetic 

 constriction, primary constriction, centric con- 

 striction, spindle attachment, insertion region, 

 attachment region and attachment constriction. 

 There is much to be said in favor of simplifica- 

 tion, and even if simplification of the present 

 vocabulary of genetics is not imm^ediately possible, 



