Genetics is the science of heredity and variation in living organisms. The modern science of genetics, which seeks to understand the mechanisms of inheritance, only began with the work of Gregor Mendel in the mid-1800s.

A geneticist is a scientist who studies genetics, the science of heredity and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be a physician, but not always. A geneticist can also be employed as a teacher or researcher. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of traits.

Most geneticists complete at least a Bachelor's degree and many continue on to a more advanced degree. Geneticists participate in courses from many areas, such as biology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, cell biology, English, and mathematics. They also participate in more specific genetics courses such as molecular genetics, transmission genetics, population genetics, quantitative genetics, ecological genetics, and genomics.