Key Idea.
Section 1
Parents Pass Instructions to Offspring
Living things have different features, like eye color or fur color. These features are called traits. When living things have babies, the babies are called offspring.
Offspring get a set of "instructions" for their traits from their parents. An offspring receives one set of instructions from one parent and another set from the other parent. This means every trait has instructions from both parents.
Section 2
Genes Carry Instructions for Traits
Every living thing contains a set of "instructions" inside its body. These instructions are like a blueprint for building a house, telling the body how to grow and what features it will have.
These special instructions are called genes. Each gene is a small piece of the blueprint that provides information for a single trait. For example, one gene might have the instruction for an animal's fur color, while another has the instruction for its height.
Section 3
Offspring Inherit Unique Combinations
Parents pass down instructions, called genes, for different traits. An offspring gets instructions from both of its parents, not just one.
An offspring does not get all of its parents' instructions. Instead, it gets a unique combination of instructions from each parent. This is like picking a handful of different colored beads from two separate jars.
Expand to review the lesson summary and core properties.
Section 1
Parents Pass Instructions to Offspring
Living things have different features, like eye color or fur color. These features are called traits. When living things have babies, the babies are called offspring.
Offspring get a set of "instructions" for their traits from their parents. An offspring receives one set of instructions from one parent and another set from the other parent. This means every trait has instructions from both parents.
Section 2
Genes Carry Instructions for Traits
Every living thing contains a set of "instructions" inside its body. These instructions are like a blueprint for building a house, telling the body how to grow and what features it will have.
These special instructions are called genes. Each gene is a small piece of the blueprint that provides information for a single trait. For example, one gene might have the instruction for an animal's fur color, while another has the instruction for its height.
Section 3
Offspring Inherit Unique Combinations
Parents pass down instructions, called genes, for different traits. An offspring gets instructions from both of its parents, not just one.
An offspring does not get all of its parents' instructions. Instead, it gets a unique combination of instructions from each parent. This is like picking a handful of different colored beads from two separate jars.