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What is genetics?

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Quick answer

Genetics is the study of genes, heredity, and how traits pass from parents to offspring. It explains why you resemble your relatives and how variation arises across living things. Genes, made of DNA, carry the instructions for traits. Offspring inherit one set of genes from each parent.

Key things to understand

  1. Genes, made of DNA, carry the instructions for traits.
  2. Offspring inherit one set of genes from each parent.
  3. Dominant and recessive alleles determine which traits appear.
  4. Mutations create variation — the raw material for evolution.

People also ask

What is a gene?
A segment of DNA that codes for a trait or protein, passed from parents to offspring.
What's the difference between dominant and recessive traits?
A dominant allele shows its effect with just one copy; a recessive one needs two copies to appear.
How is genetics related to DNA?
DNA is the molecule that stores genes; genetics is the study of how those genes work and pass on.