Question

What controls traits and inheritance?
gametes
nucleic acids
proteins
temperature

Answer 1

The primary factors that control traits and inheritance are **nucleic acids**, specifically DNA and RNA. Nucleic acids carry the genetic information that determines the traits of an organism and how these traits are passed from one generation to the next through the formation of gametes.

While proteins, which are synthesized based on the instructions encoded in nucleic acids, do influence an organism's traits and functions, the actual control of inheritance is rooted in the genetic material itself.

Temperature can influence the expression of certain traits (environmental factors affecting phenotypes), but it does not control traits and inheritance in the genetic sense.

So, the correct answer is **nucleic acids**.