Elizabeth Cooper

What is heredity?
We humans have two complete sets of 23 chromosomes; a total of
46. When people conceive a child, each of them contributes with a
complete set and by this, pass their genes to their children. Sperm
and egg cells each have only one set and when they join, they
create a single cell called a zygote (46). The child must receive
exactly one of each chromosome from their parents, each child
inherits a unique set of chromosome, and so they will have a unique
combination of traits
What is a trait?
A notable feature or quality in a person and because each one of us
has inherited a different combination of traits, we are all unique.
Different types of traits exist such as:
Physical traits Hair color, eye color, height
Behavioral traits - Characteristics of the way one acts
Predisposition to a medical condition Risk of getting a certain type
of disease is also a type of trait that can be passed from parents to
child. Sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, cancer,
diabetes and other types of mental illnesses.
What is DNA?
DNA is what encodes a detailed set of plans, like a blue print, for
building different parts of the cell. Its strand is made of
letters/genes, these letters make words and sentences. These genes
tell the cell other molecules such as proteins
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
What is a Gene?
Genes are like instruction manuals for our bodies and how they
work. We have 25,000 genes but only a few of these contain
instructions for hemoglobin proteins and the others are used for
giving instructions to other parts of our bodies. If one of these
instructions are mutated, they could result in serious diseases
such as sickle cell anemia. Keratin and pigment enzymes are also
produced by genes.
What is a protein?
A protein is like the machine that makes all living things function.
Our bodies are made up of about a million cells and each of these
has an specific job. Each of these cells contain thousands of
different proteins which work together like tiny machines to make
the cell work.

Elizabeth Cooper
What is a Chromosome?
Chromosomes are efficient storage units for DNA. Each human cell
has 46 chromosomes and the entire DNA is organized into two sets
of 23 chromosomes.