The correct statement describing the relationships among genes, DNA, and traits is: Traits are determined by genes, which are composed of DNA.
To elaborate:
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DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life. It is made up of sequences of nucleotides.
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Genes are segments of DNA that contain the coded information needed to produce specific proteins or functional RNA, which ultimately influence various biological processes and characteristics.
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Traits refer to the observable characteristics or features of an organism, such as eye color, height, or disease susceptibility, which are influenced by the genes an organism carries.
So, the hierarchy is that traits are expressed as a result of the information encoded in genes, which are in turn composed of DNA.