Final answer:
Option a) Genes serve as blueprints for synthesizing proteins, impacting the phenotype and various cellular processes, but they do not produce chromosomes, DNA, or waste material.
Step-by-step explanation:
Genes function as templates for producing our body's proteins. They play a critical role in gene expression, which transforms the information coded in a gene to a final gene product. This directly impacts the structure and function of a cell by dictating which proteins are synthesized. Proteins, in turn, are fundamental for almost every cellular process, from speeding up biochemical reactions to serving as structural components of the cell.
DNA contains genes, which are segments that provide the genetic information necessary to build these proteins. The phenotype, which is observable in a cell, is the result of the proteins that are being produced at any given moment under specific conditions. Thus, genes do not produce chromosomes or DNA, nor do they generate waste material; they serve as blueprints for protein synthesis, influencing a cell's genotype and phenotype.