Since its inception, Genetics: A Conceptual Approach has been known for its engaging writing style and its focus on the key concepts in genetics. By presenting key concepts clearly and by helping students make connections between them, Pierce enables students to study the big picture of genetics. The fourth edition includes new coverage on epigenetics, the first synthetic organism, our relationship to Neanderthals, microRNAs, and many other updates and recent discoveries. The popular Chapter-Opening Stories engage students with interesting real-life examples and have been updated. Almost half the stories are new, including new stories on "The Strange Case of Platypus Sex", "Death Cap Poisoning", "Helping the Blind to See" and more. The end-of-chapter problems have also been revised and updated, giving students great new exercises to test their understanding. The text is supported by a companion website (www.whfreeman.com/pierce4e) which provides helpful problem-solving videos and interactive animated tutorials and podcasts on key concepts and processes.