The recent explosion of genetic research has propelled DNA, genes, and genetic determinism into the public consciousness. It wasn't until I took a course on functional genomics that I began to understand how oversimplified the public’s (myself included) understanding of DNA, genes, and phenotype is in contrast to reality.

Genes are important but they are hardly the only element that determines the physical features that we each develop over a lifetime.

Mark Blumberg discussing genes, genetic determinism, evolution, and more:

The Reactome is a visual pathway database for anyone that wants to get lost in the weeds:

https://reactome.org/PathwayBrowser/#/R-HSA-211000&SEL=R-HSA-426486&PATH=R-HSA-74160

Gene silencing micro RNAs (miRNAs):

Gene regulation and transcription factors (RNA):

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