Heredity is the passing of traits from parents to their offspring through genes.

Genes are segments of DNA that carry hereditary information and determine specific traits in an organism.

Siblings often look alike because they share many of the same genes inherited from their parents.

Inherited traits are passed down from parents, while acquired traits are influenced by the environment.

An example of an inherited trait in animals is the color of their fur or eyes.

Artificial selection is the process by which humans breed plants or animals for specific traits.

Traits such as color and shape of the fruit are often influenced by genetics in plants.

An example of an acquired trait is a scar that an animal gets from an injury.

Environmental factors can affect traits by altering growth conditions, such as availability of food or climate.

Cell division is the process by which cells replicate, allowing genetic information to be passed to offspring.