Question

Heredity is the passing on of characteristics, referred to as
, from parents to offspring. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the genetic material that provides the code responsible for all traits and instructions for all life functions. In order for sexual reproduction to occur, the
of the offspring must be an equal mix of the two parents. For this to happen, the gametes have half the number of chromosomes of all the other cells. To become a haploid cell, a cell with half the number of chromosomes, cells undergo the process of
in which a cell divides twice producing four haploid cells. Each of those resulting
(eggs or sperm cells) have different combinations of traits along the chromosomes. Each resulting gamete has a unique code for each trait that can be passed on to their offspring. These different combinations of DNA, when fertilized with a subsequent gamete, ensures that the offspring will have unique characteristics

Answer 1

Heredity is the passing on of characteristics, referred to as traits, from parents to offspring. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the genetic material that provides the code responsible for all traits and instructions for all life functions. In order for sexual reproduction to occur, the genetic material of the offspring must be an equal mix of the two parents. For this to happen, the gametes have half the number of chromosomes of all the other cells. To become a haploid cell, a cell with half the number of chromosomes, cells undergo the process of meiosis in which a cell divides twice producing four haploid cells. Each of those resulting gametes (eggs or sperm cells) have different combinations of traits along the chromosomes. Each resulting gamete has a unique code for each trait that can be passed on to their offspring. These different combinations of DNA, when fertilized with a subsequent gamete, ensures that the offspring will have unique characteristics.