Final answer:
Inheritance is accurately described as the passage of traits from one generation to the next, which is a cornerstone of genetics. Traits are transmitted via genes situated on chromosomes, and this underlies the evolutionary process of natural selection. The student should note that the correct answer to the question is 'a. true'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether inheritance is the passage of traits from one generation to the next can be confirmed as true. Inheritance is a fundamental concept of genetics, a field of biology that examines how traits are transmitted from parents to their offspring. The foundational work by the Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel in the 19th century, although initially overlooked, laid the groundwork for our understanding of genetics and inheritance. Mendel's pea plant experiments revealed that traits are inherited as discrete units, now known as genes, which segregate and assort independently during reproductive cell formation.
The idea that an individual's characteristics are determined by factors passed down through generations was revolutionary. It clarified that the blending theory of inheritance, which proposed that offspring would simply be an intermediate mix of parental traits, was incorrect. Instead, genetic variation and inheritance patterns are influenced by the complex interactions of many genes, explaining characteristics such as human height that appear to blend due to continuous variation. The chromosomal basis of inheritance further details how genes are located on chromosomes, which segregate during meiosis, resulting in the transmission of parental genes to their children.
In summary, traits, or variations, are indeed passed on to offspring. This process is intrinsic to the theory of evolution by natural selection, where inherited traits that are advantageous tend to persist in populations over time. Thus, to answer the student's question, the correct option indicating that inheritance is the passage of traits from one generation to the next is 'a. true'.