Core definition — altering nucleic acids to modify heredity The deliberate modification of an organism’s genetic information by directly changing its nucleic acid content (DNA or RNA) is the subject matter of which discipline?

Introduction / Context:
Biology distinguishes between studying how genes behave in populations, how microbes live, and how scientists intentionally change genetic material. This question targets the exact field concerned with purposeful, laboratory-based alterations to DNA or RNA to achieve a designed change in phenotype or function.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• “Deliberate modification” implies planned, controlled manipulation.
• “Directly changing nucleic acid content” points to editing, inserting, deleting, or replacing sequences.
• The focus is methodological intervention rather than observation of natural variation.

Concept / Approach:

Genetic engineering encompasses recombinant DNA methods, genome editing (e.g., CRISPR-based), gene therapy, vector design, and transgenesis. Population genetics studies allele frequencies and evolution, not bench manipulation. Microbiology focuses on organisms themselves; protein engineering modifies proteins directly, often using genetic tools but not necessarily defining the discipline of changing the genome, which is genetic engineering.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Standard textbooks define genetic engineering as the direct manipulation of an organism’s genome using biotechnology, confirming alignment with the prompt.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Population genetics examines natural genetic variation; microbiology is broader; protein engineering targets proteins rather than nucleic acids; molecular ecology addresses genes in ecological contexts, not deliberate editing.

Common Pitfalls:

Conflating downstream applications (protein engineering) with the upstream manipulation of DNA that enables them.

Final Answer:

Genetic engineering