Genetic stories The first genetic story The second genetic story The third genetic story i i i i The first genetic story The first genetic story The first genetic story The first genetic story The second genetic story The second genetic story The second genetic story The second genetic story The third genetic story The third genetic story The third genetic story The third genetic story The second genetic story gives an insight to the functioning of the complicated cell system constituting the body of each of us. We come into being from one single cell, zygote, during the fusion of the mother´s egg with the father´s sperm. Due to the increase of reproduction problems in human population, the possibility of starting life through assisted reproduction is welcome. The technique of fertilization in vitro was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012. But how to achieve, from one single cell, 1014 cells building the body of an adult person? Multiple divisions must be strictly controlled in the so called cell cycle. The first genetic story leads us along the milestones on the way towards deciphering the genetic code that were awarded the Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine. Mendel was the first to show, in 1865, that heredity and variability are based on the transfer of information units. In the next century it was discovered that the genetic information is situated in the cell nucleus in the form of nucleic material. The analyses of nucleic acids in the mid-20th century and especially the discovery of DNA structure in 1953 have shown where exactly the genetic code is inscribed. The third genetic story makes acquainted with life, death and immortality of cells and its impact on the whole organism. The life cycle of a cell including proliferation, differentiation and fulfilling respective functions ends with the programmed death called apoptosis. All the cells of the organism are programmed to autodestruction, it is one of the ways how to assure the correct functioning of the whole organism. Cellular death applies as soon as at the beginning of life, during the embryogenesis, it is part of the evolution of organs. These discoveries were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2002. Even if Mendel´s discovery was epochal, it was not awarded the Nobel Prize. The latter has been awarded since 1901 and the candidates cannot be nominated posthumously. Nevertheless many Nobel Prize laureates follow up with Mendel´s legacy and claim proudly allegiance to it. Some dedications with photographs of the authors and their visits to the Mendelianum are displayed on the introductory panel. RIBOZOM M. H. F. Wilkins; Foto: artigos-serbiologia.blogspot.com