Question

Two students were discussing inheritance in science class. Both students knew that genes and chromosomes had something to do with human inheritance. The students came up with four explanations of what genes do in the process of inheritance. Which is the best explanation of what genes do?

a) Genes make chromosomes and chromosomes make up our organs, which give us the traits we inherit.
b) Genes directly cause physical changes to our chromosomes; then the chromosomes produce our traits.
c) Genes directly cause physical changes on our cells' nuclei. The nuclei then produce our traits.
d) Genes are part of chromosomes and genes provide the instructions to cells on how to make our traits.

Answer 1

The best explanation is that genes, part of chromosomes, provide instructions for traits. Chromosomes convey genetic material, and different alleles of a gene influence trait variation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best explanation of what genes do in the process of inheritance is option (d): Genes are part of chromosomes and genes provide the instructions to cells on how to make our traits. Genes are segments of DNA located on chromosomes within the cell's nucleus. The chromosomal theory of inheritance, as rediscovered from Gregor Mendel's work, establishes that chromosomes are the vehicles of genetic material. The specific location of a gene on a chromosome is known as its locus, and these genes may exist in different forms, or alleles, which are responsible for the variation in traits.

Alleles can activate the expression of specific traits, and the combination of alleles an organism inherits from its parents (the genotype) determines the organism's observable characteristics (the phenotype). Thus, understanding the chromosomal basis of inheritance helps us to comprehend how genes pass from parent to offspring and how they influence traits such as eye color, hair color, and other aspects of an individual's phenotype.