Inheritance

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/inheritance

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the molecular basis?DNA, organized into genes, carries hereditary information
2. What is the transmission process?Meiosis and fertilization ensure the passing of alleles from parents to offspring
3. How do we get our eye color from our parents?Genes for eye color come from both mom and dad. One gene comes from each parent and together they decide the eye color.
4. Why do some family members look alike?Because we share genes from our parents, we can have similar traits such as hair or eye color.

Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism, referring to its alleles.
Phenotype: The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism.
Allele: One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation.