Final answer:
Hereditary information is not solely determined by the number of nucleotides but by their specific order in the DNA sequence. Different arrangements of the same nucleotides can lead to the production of different proteins, emphasizing the importance of the nucleotide order in genetic coding and heredity. So the correct answer is Option C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is: No, hereditary information is passed through the order of the nucleotides in a gene. The sequence of nucleotides, which are the building blocks of DNA, determines the genetic information carried within a gene. This sequence specifies the exact instructions needed to create proteins, the workhorses of cells. Even if two segments of DNA have the same number of each nucleotide, if the order is different, they could code for entirely different proteins. It's the meticulous order of these nucleotides that is critical in the process of replication of DNA, its expression in the form of different proteins, and the transmission of genetic traits from one generation to the next.
For example, while the sequence 'ATG-CGT' might code for one set of amino acids, 'GTG-CAT' would code for another, despite having the same number of adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T) nucleotides. It is the specific arrangement of these bases, much like the order of letters in a word, that dictates the genetic code and ultimately the structure and function of resultant proteins. This is why the exact order of nucleotides is so fundamental to biology and heredity.