Final answer:
The blueprint for all inherited traits such as height is found in the chromosomes, which contain genes made up of DNA. These genes determine the inherited traits and are passed from parents to offspring through the egg and sperm cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse tells a mother that the blueprint for all inherited traits, such as height, is found in the chromosomes. These are long strings of genetic material known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is a helix-shaped molecule made up of nucleotide base pairs. Genes are sequences of DNA located on the chromosomes that control or partially control numerous visible characteristics or traits, like eye color and hair color. Each gene may have different alleles, which are variations of that gene that determine specific traits. An organism's traits are determined by the specific combination of inherited genes.
Humans have both somatic cells and gametes, with somatic cells being diploid (having two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent), while gametes (sperm or eggs) are haploid (containing a single set of chromosomes). At fertilization, a sperm and an egg combine their chromosomes to create a zygote with a full set of chromosomes. Through the process of heredity and genetics, parents pass on characteristics to their offspring, with children inheriting 50% of their genes from the mother's egg cell and the remaining 50% from the father's sperm cell.