Summary

A general review on pig genetics is given. The main topics covered are: karyotype and chromosomal abnormalities, coat colour, hereditary defects and disorders, disease resistance, immunogenetics, biochemical polymorphisms, linkages and syntenies, and quantitative traits of economic importance. As regards the latter field, special emphasis is put on the known influences of marker genes on performance traits. Lists of genes controlling coat colour, blood groups (erythrocyte antigens), and electrophoretic variants of blood serum proteins and blood cell enzymes are tabulated. A list of 29 genetic abnormalities which can be considered as probably monogenic in the pig is also given. The total number of presently identified loci is around 100. I