How Are Traits Inherited?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Looking in a mirror, you may see features similar to your parents or siblings because you have some of the same genes!

Your physical features are determined by the traits you inherit from your parents through heredity. Heredity is the process of parents passing traits to offspring. Genetics is the study of heredity processes.

The building block for heredity and genetics is the gene. Genes are sequences of DNA arranged on chromosomes in an organism's nucleus.

Each inherited trait is controlled by one gene from mom and one from dad. These sets of genes that code for the same trait are called alleles.

Notice how each chromosome has a band coding for traits like eye color, blood type, hair color, and growth. These are allele pairs for inherited traits.

• How did we learn about genetics and heredity?

It all started with an Austrian Monk, Gregor Mendel.

Mendel studied properties in pea plants. He looked at flower type, flower color, seed pod shape and color, and pea seed shape. His studies laid the foundation for modern genetic understanding.

Learn some essential vocabulary words to understand genetics better. Make this table on a sheet of paper, and use it to record important ideas presented in the video below.

Genetics is fascinating because it determines the traits passed from parents to offspring.

• What have you learned about the traits you inherited from your parents?

Think of all the knowledge we have developed since Mendel worked with simple characteristics in pea plants!

Move to the Got It? section to analyze your own genetics!