Development of the Concept of “Gene” in the Academic Subject “Biology” for Grade 10 in the Light of Niels Bohr’s Correspondence Principle

The relevance of the article is determined by the need to update the educational content on the basics of genetics in the subject “Biology” for the 10th grade. It is known that in most current textbooks the genetic section is built without reliance on the methodology of theoretical cognition, the principle of historical continuity of theories of genetics, which underestimates the cognitive capabilities of schoolchildren. The leading component of theoretical knowledge that ensures its development is a concept. Thus, genes are consistently concretized in the system of theories: starting from the teachings of G. Mendel — to the chromosomal theory of heredity and from it — to the molecular theory of the gene. The historical continuity of genetic theories serves as an ideal model of Niels Bohr’s correspondence principle, according to which a new theory (as a more complete one) does not override the previous one, but includes it as an independent fragment. The construction of educational material in the light of the correspondence principle gives an opportunity to “go beyond the subject”, to get acquainted with universal schemes of development of scientific cognition. In this case, the concept of “gene” becomes an activity unit of the content. The student “rediscovers” the process of concept emergence in thinking and masters the ways of mental activity.